


Slices of an Auckland Life

by Lakritzwolf



Series: Unintended Consequences [3]
Category: The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: F/M, Family, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Non-canonical children, Oral Sex, Post-Season 03 AU, Romance, death of a family member, description of funerals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-31 11:54:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 29,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6469171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lakritzwolf/pseuds/Lakritzwolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <br/>
    <img/>
    <br/>
  </p>
</div>Have some slices of life, a sort of Extended Edition of the <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/series/377736">Unintended Consequences Series</a>. I am open to requests if there's something that isn't in the major storyline of Unintended Consequences, Two Volumes of one Book or More than Words that you like to see.
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Added to end of Chapter 35 in UC: Homecoming from the hospital

It seemed like Axl and Olaf had taken a wrong turn somewhere, as they arrived about half an hour after Anders and Russell had come home together with the others. 

And when they finally did arrive, they were both grinning like idiots and emptied the contents of a shopping bag onto the dinner table. 

“Balloons?” Mike asked, lifting his eyebrows and crossing his arms.  
Anders looked up from where he was digging through the fridge. “What are you two up to now?”

Axl tore the bag with the balloons apart and took a bright, cheerfully yellow one to blow it up. Olaf did the same with a green one. 

Michelle crossed her arms as well, raised her eyebrows and exchanged a curious look with Dawn.

“We need...” Olaf said, struggling with tying a knot, “...a homecoming party.”  
“A homecoming party?” Russell, equipped with a glass of chocolate milk, looked up at his uncle and cousin with a frown. “Who’s coming home?”  
“You are!” Olaf booped Russell’s nose. “You’re coming home from the hospital!” Using his size to his advantage, Olaf stood on tiptoe and somehow, fastened the balloon to the lamp.  
Russell looked up at him, then at the balloon Axl was tying to a curtain rod. “We got streamers too!” He said and grinned.

“Axl, sometimes I swear you’re more of a kid than Russell is,” Mike said and shook his head, but he was smiling. It was a somewhat exasperated smile, but still.

The impromptu party decorations were in place in no time, and after Anders had handed out soda and beer, they all drank to Russell’s health. The boy obviously wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but he lifted his bottle nonetheless with a happy grin. 

“Well,” Dawn said as she looked around in the kitchen after the first toast. “Should we make dinner or just order something?”  
“We order,” Mike said. “Or would you rather play chef, Anders?”

The move habitually and unconscious, Anders ran a hand through his hair, or rather, he meant to. He closed his eyes and pulled a face, much to everyone’s amusement, before lowering the hand. “Hilarious,” he said and shook his head as he opened a drawer and produced the leaflet of a pizza service. “Do I have to take up another mortgage to feed you lot?”  
“I’m paying,” Mike said.  
“What?” Anders looked up. “You sure? Why don’t we just pool?”  
“My turn to be generous,” Mike said and with a small grin, rubbed a hand across Anders’s head.

Anders pretended to kick him, but Mike was fast enough. But before he could say anything else, Russell had planted himself in front of his uncle with crossed arms. He had just removed the beanie.

“Russ?”  
Russell’s face was dark with childish anger. “You’re not supposed to make fun of my dad because he doesn’t have any hair anymore!”  
Mike had his mouth hanging open, at a loss for an answer.

Russell glowered at him for a moment longer before rounding the kitchen counter. He patted Anders’s leg. “It will all grow back,” he said soothingly.  
Anders blinked hastily a few times before he bent down to pick him up. “I know that. Thanks, though.”  
“Don’t be sad,” Russell said, his voice heartbreakingly soft.  
“I’m not sad,” Anders replied with a small smile, eyes misting over. “I’m just a bit annoyed.”

Russell slung his arms around Anders’s neck and Anders tightened his hold. “It’s you and me, And... dad, right?”  
“You and me, Russ,” Anders replied, eyes closed.

“Hey,” Olaf said and ran a hand over his own head. “Can I join the club too?”  
Russell leaned back and looked at him with a confused frown. “But you never had any hair!”

That broke the spell and everybody burst out laughing, including Olaf.

* * *

As excited as he had been about the first dinner at home with something other than hospital food – and his favourite pizza, no less – halfway through the second slice of pizza, Russell began to sag and his face became a little pale.

“Russ?” Anders leaned forward and closed an arm around him. “You okay?”  
“My arm hurts,” Russell muttered.  
Anders nodded and cleared his throat. “Hang on.”

He quickly got up and headed for the kitchen where he had deposited the bag with the medication he had gotten from the hospital. There were two kinds of painkillers, syrup for daytime and suppositories for the nights. Anders took the syrup for now. 

Russell bravely swallowed the spoonful of the thick, sticky liquid that smelled of artificial strawberry flavour and his face distorted in disgust. 

“Maybe you should go to bed?” Anders asked cautiously. “You’re really tired.”  
“I want to stay here,” Russell replied in a very small voice and looked up at the gathered family around the table. “With you.”  
Anders could understand the boy’s desire to stay with his family after having been away from home for so long. “Maybe the sofa?” He suggested. 

At that, Russell nodded, and let himself be wrapped into a blanket. It was obvious, thought, that his arm was still hurting. 

“Hey, Russ.” Olaf got up and sat down next to him. “Should I tell you a story?”  
Russell’s eyes lit up, the attempt at distracting him from the pain already working. “When the giants stole Thor’s hammer?”  
“That’s your favourite, isn’t it?” Olaf smiled broadly. “Sure.” Then he settled back, but to his surprise, Russell crawled into his lap. 

Olaf’s face softened as he adjusted Russell’s position so the boy leaned against him with his right side, and Olaf could hold the left arm so it wasn’t dangling down.  
The conversation around the table had died down though they were all still eating, but now they were all listening to Olaf’s deep and soothing voice.

No more than five minutes later Russell had fallen asleep, his face leaning into Olaf’s shoulder. 

“Should I take him up to bed?” Anders asked in a low voice.  
Olaf smiled at him and shook his head. “No, it’s fine.” He smiled at his great-grandson sleeping in his arms. “It’s fine.” 

Then he continued the tale, his voice lowered and his eyes warm as he watched Russell’s sleeping face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Chapter 36 of UC: Anders takes Russell to the Zoo

Anders had taken Russell out for ice cream after the cast had come off, but somehow, he felt that small a thing really insufficient for the occasion. 

And so, on the following Saturday, after Russell had finished his breakfast, he told him to get dressed so they could go.

“Go where?” Russell tilted his head.  
“The Zoo.”  
“The Zoo?” The boy’s eyes widened. “Really?”  
“Yes, really.” Anders sat down in the chair next to him. “See... the last trip do the zoo wasn’t really... well. You never made it to the zoo, so I thought we catch up on that.”

Russell started bouncing in his chair. “Today?”  
“That’s why I told you to get dressed.”

Russell shot out of the chair so fast it almost toppled over and dashed up the stars. Chuckling to himself, Anders got up again as well, and by the time Russell came racing down again he had finished packing, although he hadn’t packed a picnic. They would go and eat chips and hotdogs and ice cream and candy and in general being very unhealthy because Anders had every intention of giving Russell the best day ever. 

“Dad?” Russell straightened up after lacing his shoes.  
“Yes?”  
“Are Uncle Ty and Auntie Dawn coming, too? And Uncle Mike and Uncle Axl?”  
“No, not this time.” Anders picked up the bag and headed for the door. He crouched down in front of the boy. “Today, it’s just you and me, Russ.”  
“Just you and me?”  
“You and me.”

Russell’s smile and made Anders’s heart melt and it was still glowing when they had reached the car.

As usual, when Russell was idle, Anders pressed the small sand-filled ball into his left hand after fastening his seatbelt and Russell began dutifully kneading it with his fingers. So far, physical therapy for the arm had made really good progress, and while the arm was still somewhat thinner then the right one, Russell had almost all flexibility back. The therapist had assured him that Russell had been lucky and the surgeons had done a damn good job; within a few months’ time, the scar would be all that remained. 

That scar, a long, thick ridge on the inside of the arm from the middle of the upper arm down past the elbow, and the eight punctures left by the metal fixture, would probably bother the boy once he was a teenager, but for now, Russell showed the scars to everyone and their mother and flourished them like a tribal warrior his ritual tattoos. 

Hand in hand they headed for the entrance after parking the car, and Russell skipped merrily beside Anders asking him tons of questions about various animals that Anders could only admit ignorance to. 

Once through admittance, Anders shouldered his bag and watched Russell dart forward with a smile. He himself had dressed down considerably; expecting dirt and dust and probably animal hairs and benches with bird droppings he wasn’t wearing his usual slacks but the pair of black jeans he had bought for the fancy dress party, and a grey T-shirt.

In short, he looked like any other dad being here with his kid on a Saturday afternoon. It felt a bit weird. But mostly, it felt pretty good. Father and son. Just Russ and his dad.

Immediately after they left the building Russell raced to the right, towards the compound with the giraffes, ostriches and zebras.

“Look!” Russell tugged at Anders’s shirt. “Look, dad! Giraffes! And Zebras! Look!”  
“I am looking,” Anders laughed.  
“Come on!”

Anders followed the tug and let himself be dragged along a wooden boardwalk path past the giraffes, while Russell was babbling in delight and so fast Anders had a hard time keeping up. And then there were rhinoceroses and gazelles to the left and Lions to the right, and at the first cafe, The Watering Hole, located between the elephants and the lions, Russell was already in dire need of a break. He was sweating.

As Anders watched him guzzle his lemonade, he suddenly realised that obviously, Russell had never been to a zoo before. Of course, he was only six and a half, but Wellington had a zoo as well. And yet, wasn’t the image of Kevin McInnis taking Russell’s hand and looking at lions the last thing Anders was able to imagine?  
On the other hand, wasn’t the concept of Anders Johnson taking a little boy to the zoo something even harder to imagine, for anyone who had known him, back before the letter of the MoJ had arrived? He chuckled to himself. 

After having made short work of the lemonade Russell was on his feet again and took Anders’s hand to drag him off the chair. He didn’t even look at the water feature other kids were playing in.  
Russell was here for the animals, and he meant business.

Anders had to read every single sign at every compound. He probably learned more about various animals in one hour than he had during his whole time at school and Russell absorbed all that information like a sponge. 

They had their lunch at Darwin’s Café, after having spent almost twenty minutes watching the meerkats. But again, the playground on the other side of the café was of no consequence to the boy, because who needed a playground when there were tigers in the vicinity?

Anders read about red pandas, otters, tigers, emus and wallabies. The lorikeet aviary had Russell awestruck but the highlight of the day came a little later.

Russell stared.  
“They look great, right?”  
Russell kept on staring.  
“They don’t really look as cuddly and friendly as Al does, do they?”  
“They’re huge,” Russell finally whispered. 

Well, TV documentaries were certainly fascinating and informative, but they couldn’t compete with the real stuff. Russell was staring at the alligators as if he was having a vision from god.

It was when Anders looked at his son’s face, eyes shining brightly and wide with awe and wonder, cheeks slightly flushed and lips parted, that he realised it: Whatever he had meant to do, whatever he had hoped or didn’t dare to hope would happen; whatever his doubts and regrets had been during the last year, it was this he had wanted. Something he had never had, something he had never been, but something that he had been able to afford his son.

That scared, intimidated, lost and abandoned little boy had turned into a carefree, happy child. 

Anders stepped up behind Russell and placed his hands on his shoulders. Russell leaned back against him, and they both watched the alligators yawn and in general, not do anything much. Still, it took Russ a long time to get bored of the sleeping alligators. 

Later, they hey had ice cream and coffee, respectively, and on their way out, Russell was holding on to a small plush alligator that he had begged Anders for in the gift shop. Russ made it into the car, but he was asleep at the first traffic lights.

Anders carried him inside, and once he was in his pyjamas and on the way to bed, Russell remembered the new alligator he had forgotten downstairs. Anders asked him to go to bed and went downstairs to fetch it.

“Look,” Russell said to Al and presented his friend with the smaller alligator. “This is Gaty. We found him today, Dad and me, in the zoo.”  
Anders sat down at the edge of the mattress.  
“See,” Russell continued. “He’s all alone, and you can be his dad and take care of him. You’ll be the best dad ever, Al.” Then he gave Anders a heartbreaking smile, his eyes full of love and adoration, before he settled the two alligators under his blanket, nestled together.

Anders was able to keep it together until he had switched off the lights in Russell’s room, but once he was downstairs, he found himself a pack of Kleenex and gave up.

Once his vision had cleared again Anders looked up at the fridge door and the laminated picture, and after a long moment, he shook his head with a crooked little smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The missing scene in chapter 33 of 2V: How Russ and Danny finally figured themselves out.

Equipped with their beers they settled down on the terrace, sitting on the wooden floorboards with their backs against the wall and their legs stretched out before them.

Starting at the party and the people there their conversation then turned to Danny telling a few new anecdotes about his father’s customers but in the end, they ran out of topics of conversation. The lights in the living room went off, and Russell fetched them another beer.

Russell sat down again after handing Danny his beer and while Danny let his head drop back after opening his bottle, Russell kept staring straight ahead. Usually they didn’t mind silence, but that night, silence was uncomfortable for some reason.

“Man, that party sucked balls,” Danny said after a while.  
“Fuck, yeah.” Russell took a sip of beer.  
“Gotta love your dad, really.”  
“’Cause there’s always beer in the fridge or ‘cause we’re good to take one whenever?”  
“Both, actually.” Danny took a sip of beer as well. “Sure wouldn’t mind having a dad like that.”  
“Sorry, he’s not for sale.”

They shared a soft chuckle and a grin. 

After a moment though, Russell’s smile vanished again. He shook his head and stared at the ground between his feet, intensely studying the wood grain.

“Russ?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Dude, don’t give me that. You got something on your mind. So either tell me or tell me to fuck off and drop it.”  
Shaking his head with a crooked little grin Russell looked up again.   
Danny shrugged and took another sip of beer.

“So it’s like...” Russell took a deep breath. “It’s because of New Year’s...” He closed his eyes. “And Patrick...”  
“Patrick...” Danny interrupted him pointedly, “...is an asshole and one of the reasons that party sucked a bag of dicks, mate.”  
“Yeah but...” Russell brought his bottle back up but it never touched his lips. “It wasn’t only Patrick, though, was it?”  
“So what.” Danny adjusted his position. “Yeah, what happened was shit, and fuck yeah, the laugh is always on the loser, but I told you I don’t wanna hear it anymore. And the people who still give you shit can go hang.”  
“But...” Russell nervously licked his lips and then took a rather large gulp of his beer as if to make up for the break. “See there’s someone who... who I didn’t.... who I really wish hadn’t seen me like that.”

Danny froze. “Uh.” Then he rolled his shoulders. “That’s shit... I get that. So like... a...”  
“A love interest?” Russell asked with a tiny bitter twist. “Fuck yeah, you could call it that. But after that...”  
“Hey, you really think that getting shit ass drunk one time is enough to have anyone dump you?”  
“Well not dump, obviously, because we never had anything going on, but after that night it’s sure as fuck not going to happen anymore no matter what.”  
“What?” Danny shook his head and looked at his friend. “If that dickhead is shallow like that you don’t want that anyway. You’re worth more than that.”

Russell swallowed heavily and stared at his feet again. “Thanks... I guess.”  
“Uhm.” Danny took a deep breath. “Like, really. Only an idiot would do that.” He took a hasty sip of beer, but his discomfort was lost on Russell who still stared at the ground.

“See it’s because...” Russell began after a moment and heaved a heavy sigh. “It’s because... it’s because he’s straight.”  
“Oh.” Danny twirled the bottle between his fingers. “I see. Shit...”  
“Yes, shit.” Russell shook his head and let it drop back against the wall. “And then it’s...” He stared up at the stars, dimly visible because of the city lights. “It’s like... Fuck!”  
“Dude?”

“It’s fucking ridiculous!” Russell put his bottle down and ran both hands through his hair. “Or it would be if I wasn’t so scared of losing...” He broke off with an angry growl.   
“Uh...what? Losing? Who?” Danny adjusted his position again so he could better look at Russell. “And why would you?”

Russell tore his hands out of his hair with another growl and his head hit the wall with a dull thud that made Danny wince. 

“Because...” Russell swallowed. “Because... Fuck! I don’t want to lose my best friend over this!”  
“Best...” Danny’s voice was trembling a little. “Best friend? Why would you...”  
Russell slowly turned his head to look at him. “I’m in love with my best friend who is straight and who sure as fuck wouldn’t see me that way even if he was gay, at least not anymore after that shit ass party because I’m such a sorry fuck-up.”  
Danny’s facial expression was one of utter confusion. “But you’re... gay?”  
Russell’s facial expression changed to match Danny’s. “The fuck?”  
“I mean... Emma is...”  
“Emma?” Russell blinked like an owl. “Emma?”

The two stared at each other in awkward silence. 

“Emma?” Russell asked again with a shaky, incredulous chuckle. 

Danny stared back with slightly parted lips.

“For fuck’s sake, Danny... you’re as thick as a short plank sometimes.”

That sentence was followed by a very long silence. 

A car honked in the distance.

“Uh...” Danny closed his mouth and dropped back against the wall.   
“Yeah.”  
“Uhm.”

Russell shrugged and stared at his feet, trying to dig his left big toe into a knothole.

“So...” Danny took a gulp of beer. “It’s... me you’re crushing on?”  
“Captain Obvious has landed!” Russell snapped.  
Danny turned his head to look at him. “Dude, you know you sounded exactly like your dad, right?”  
Russell snorted out a mirthless chuckle. “Fuck, I know.” Then he hit the wall again with the back of his head. “Fuck! I should’ve kept my bloody mouth shut! Fuck!”

Danny twirled his bottle between his fingers for a moment, then put it down and got up. He walked the few steps over to the fence, rested both hands on top of it and took a few very deep breaths. Then, after squaring his shoulders, he walked back and sat down again. Russell scooted the tiniest bit away from him but he followed and closed the distance again. 

“So... look.” Danny scratched his chin. “First of all... I actually swing both ways.”  
Russell’s head flew up. “But I thought... I mean you had a girlfriend when I met you so I thought...”  
This time it was Danny who shrugged somewhat uncomfortably. “Yeah, fuck that. I have a girlfriend people say I’m straight, I have a boyfriend people call me gay, and in between they tell me to make up my mind.”  
Russell couldn’t meet his eyes and shrugged again. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”  
“The fuck?”  
“I mean, now I know that...”  
“Oh shut it.” Danny shook his head. “So then...” Then he pursed his lips and cleared his throat. “Oh, because I could crush right back, that right?”  
Russell hunched his shoulders.   
“So there’s maybe a... a reason why I never had a girlfriend again after I broke up with Sarah? And I mean... that happened like what? Two months or three after we met and started making music?”

Swallowing audibly, Russell slowly looked up again. 

“Really.” Danny smiled shyly and slowly, reached out and draped one arm around Russell’s shoulders. “And I don’t give a fuck about New Year’s and that fucking party and those assholes that... not a single fuck. But hey...” His voice softened even more. “It’s not about them, or anyone else. Is it?”  
Russell shook his head.  
“Come here,” Danny whispered and pulled him close.

Russell didn’t resist, slung both arms around him and buried his face in Danny’s shoulder while Danny pressed his face into Russell’s hair. Their arms tightened around each other, their hands cautiously moving, up and down each other’s backs, down arms and back up again. Both were breathing heavily, with rapidly racing hearts. 

Eventually, Russell leaned back and Danny lifted his head. Smiling and biting his lower lip, Russell cautiously reached around Danny’s head and tugged the elastic out of his hair. After slipping that onto his wrist Russell combed both hands through Danny’s hair, sifting the thick, black strands through his fingers and watched with parted lips how they fell around Danny’s face.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for ages,” he whispered, his voice shaking and his smile wavering.   
“Yeah...” Danny brushed the fingers of his left hand across the short hair above Russell’s neck. “Me too...”  
“Oh well...” Russell’s smile was half cocky, half-self-conscious. “Guess you gotta stick around for a while then...”  
“Shit.”

After a moment they both chuckled, nervously and shakily and maybe a tiny bit too loud.

“For ages,” Russell said again and sifted more of Danny’s hair through his fingers.  
“Could’ve said so,” Danny gave back, his voice slightly trembling.   
Russell’s smile widened a little and swallowing, Danny cradled his face in his hands, brushing his thumbs over the dimples. “God, you’re so... so... what would a guy as gorgeous as you want with someone like me?”  
“Crap,” Russell gasped and opened his eyes again. “Stop talking crap and...”  
“And?” Danny asked, a hint of mischief in his dark eyes.  
Russell took a deep breath. “Think of something else.” There was a glint in his eyes now as well, but it vanished as fast as the one in Danny’s eyes when their eyes met.

Russell closed his eyes when Danny’s thumbs brushed across his cheekbones, and then Danny leaned forward and their lips touched. Then again, and a third time, soft, sweet and shy, hesitantly as if both of them were afraid the other would burst and vanish like a soap bubble if they touched each other too hard. 

And then suddenly Russell threw his arms around Danny’s neck and Danny let go of his face to pull him closer again, and they opened their lips, their kisses turning from tender and shy to hungry and passionate. 

What little there was of a background noise coming from the city around them faded into nothing as they kissed. And when they finally had to part for air they immediately embraced and snuggled together as tightly as they could, arms around each other, and when their hands met at one point, they also entwined their fingers. 

Danny breathed a kiss onto Russell’s temple. “I can’t believe this is actually happening,” he whispered.  
Russell chuckled softly under his breath and nuzzled his cheek. “Better make sure it does, now, right?” He placed a kiss into the dark scruff, and another closer to the corner of Danny’s mouth, and the latter had to only turn his head the tiniest bit before their lips found each other again. 

This time Russell dug both hands into the hair on the back of Danny’s head, making him moan softly into the kiss. With a little moan of his own Russell deepened the kiss again and tore himself away to straddle Danny’s thighs before he buried his fingers into the thick black hair again. Danny closed his arms around him, hands roaming Russell’s back as they kissed, and when they finally broke away again, both were short of breath. 

After a moment, Russell leaned forward again and rested his forehead against Danny’s. “Hey,” he whispered.  
“Hey.”  
They smiled, not even having to look at each other.  
“You all right?”  
Danny’s smile widened. “Never been better.” His voice was slightly husky.

“So...” Russell leaned back again and ran a finger down Danny’s cheek and trailed it along his jaw line. “Another beer?”  
“What?” A crooked smile appeared on Danny’s face.  
“Yeah...” Russell lowered his eyelids. “We could take it upstairs. You know. My room.”  
“Have another beer in your room, you mean.” Danny cocked one eyebrow.   
“Why not?”  
The smile widened into a grin. “Can’t think of anything, really.”

Their eyes met and Russell quickly slid off Danny’s lap. Both of them made an effort to not look as if they were in a hurry when they went upstairs with their beer.

They failed miserably.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back when I first had the idea I mentioned to a skype friend: "I can't write porn with this guy, I've known him since he was five!" and she said to me: "He's your OC, you can do with him whatever the fuck you want."  
> Since she has a point, and since I've had several people mention this to me I caved in, so here, due to popular demand, the E-rated chapter you've all been waiting for, you little pervs. (But if you're pervs for reading this, then what does that make me?)  
> Anyway, enjoy.
> 
> * * *
> 
> The night in the garden, followed by passionate discoveries.

The awkward shyness was back as soon as the door had closed behind them, and at first they sat down on the carpet sipping their beer in silence. Neither of them seemed to be able to meet the other’s eyes.

At one point though, Russell reached out and covered Danny’s hand with his, and they finally looked up at each other and smiled. Russell put his beer down and Danny did the same, and after moving closer together they snuggled up and after another moment, Russell placed a gentle kiss onto the corner of Danny’s jaw, eliciting a deep sigh and a soft hum. They shared another smile, and kissed again.

Since they hadn’t put on any music the only sounds in the room were the soft, wet sounds of their kisses and their increasingly heavy breaths. During the first break for air, Russell straddled Danny’s lap again and buried his hands into the thick, black hair. This time he tugged Danny’s head back and placed a line of kisses down his throat. Danny’s hands found their way under the hem of Russell’s T-shirt and Russell immediately broke the kiss and lifted his arms. 

Breathing even more heavily, Danny pushed it up, and bending over a little, Russell assisted him in pulling it over his head. Danny swallowed hard when Russell straightened up again, running one hand down his chest.

“So...” Russell chuckled softly. “If you’re into chest hair.... sorry to disappoint.”  
“As if I give a shit,” Danny breathed. “You’re gorgeous.”  
Russell dragged his fingernails across Danny’s scalp with a fond, slightly lovesick smile.  
“I mean...” Danny gulped down some air and closed his eyes. “Like...” He broke off with a hum; he seemed to be completely unable to focus.  
“You like that?” Russell whispered into his ear.  
“I’m a sucker for head scratches,” Danny whispered back. 

Russell chuckled again and increased the pressure of his fingers. Danny first hummed and then practically purred when Russell didn’t stop. 

“What about you?” Danny whispered into his shoulder after some time.  
“I’m fine,” Russell said with a smile. “Totally cool up here.”  
Danny hummed again and pressed his head against Russell’s shoulder again.  
“Hey.” Russell removed his hands.  
“Hm.”  
“Up here.”

Danny peeled his face away and looked up at Russell with a smile and lowered eyelids.

“That.” Russell tugged at a fold of Danny’s shirt. “Off.”  
“Subtle, are we,” Danny said with a small grin and lifted his arms. 

Russell didn’t waste a second and pulled it off. Since he had seen Danny play in a tank top he knew the two lines of Celtic knot work circling each of his biceps, and he had also been able to admire the strong muscles as he had played. He closed both hands around the drummer’s shapely arms and ran his thumbs over the lines, two different designs but a matching set.

“God, this feels even better than I imagined,” he muttered.  
“What does?”  
“Your arms.” Russell met his eyes. “I’ve been thinking a lot about those since I saw you play in a tank top for the first time.”

Danny dropped his head and exhaled a soft, amused snort. “Anything like you expected?” He asked after looking up again.  
“No.” Russell shook his head and closed his fingers around Danny’s wrists. “My fantasies fall utterly short.”  
“Spoken like a poet,” Danny gave back.  
Russell grinned. “Which one of us two is the singer and writer?”  
“Start giving me the muscle and the brain routine and I’m outta here,” Danny shot back.

Russell’s only answer was to lean forward and place a kiss into the crook of Danny’s neck. Danny in turn pulled Russell closer and reciprocated the gesture, then trailed a line of gentle nips across the soft skin, making Russell moan softly with every touch. Having reached the crook of his neck, Danny exchanged gentle for hungry.

Russell gasped. “Bastard,” he whispered breathlessly. “That’s going to be a hickey like no other tomorrow.”  
“Sorry.”  
“Not in a million years.”  
Danny leaned back, and they both snorted. “Not a chance, mate.”  
“You’re aware that I’ll take my chance at revenge at the first opportunity?”  
“You’re welcome to try.”

They stared at each other before they simultaneously moved, their lips crashing together with a click of teeth. Russell fell back with a hiss.

“Shit!” Danny placed a hand at the back of Russell’s head and turned it so he could look at his face. “You all right?”  
“Yeah...” Russell ran his tongue across his lips. “Nothing broken.”

Their eyes met.

“Jesus... you’d think neither of us ever kissed before.” Danny shook his head.  
“I guess we need more practise then.” Russell’s smile was a little mischievous and Danny shook his head with a fond smile before – cautiously – pulling him close again into another kiss.

Since Russell was still straddling Danny’s lap they were now chest to chest, skin on skin, and the sensation heated things up a little. There were hungry, open-mouthed kisses, roaming hands and fingers digging into skin, and there were a lot of soft, urgent moans. 

Eventually they managed to relocate into the bed where they calmed again somewhat and just cuddled for some time, running their hands across each other’s skin in gentle caresses and exchanging tender kisses. 

They ended up with Danny on his back and Russell snuggled against his right side, and while Danny toyed with Russell’s hair Russell had one hand roaming Danny’s chest.

“I could do this forever,” Danny whispered and placed a kiss onto Russell’s temple.  
Russell chuckled softly kissed the skin of Danny’s shoulder.  
“And I still can’t believe this is really happening.”

Having placed another kiss onto the skin his head was resting against Russell propped himself up onto one elbow to look at him. Danny met his eyes. 

After a moment of staring at each other they kissed again, hungry and open-mouthed, with Danny digging his fingers into Russell’s hair. Russell’s hands were still roaming, and at one point his thumb brushed one of Danny’s nipples. Danny broke the kiss with a sharp intake of breath. Russell, who didn’t want to break the contact yet, trailed his lips along Danny’s jaw line and nipped his right earlobe. Simultaneously he flicked the nipple again with his thumb. 

“I want your dick in my mouth,” he breathed into Danny’s ear.

Danny pressed his head into the pillow with a groan. “Confession time,” he gasped.  
Russell immediately removed his hand and sat up again, staring down at Danny who looked up at him with an uncomfortable attempt at a smile. “Shit...”  
“No, it’s not...” Danny swallowed. “It’s not that, it’s because...” He took a deep breath. “It’s because I... I mean you’re gay and you’ve known it for some time, but it took me like forever to figure myself out because it was both boys and girls and I...”  
“Hey...” Russell said softly and brushed a few strands of hair from Danny’s cheek. “I’m sorry... I’m really... I shouldn’t have said that...”  
“No, again, it’s not that... it’s because...” Danny took a deep breath and swallowed hard again. “It was... for some reason it was easier to go after the girls, and I had like two serious things going on with girls but with the guys I was... I didn’t... I actually...”  
“Danny...” Russell bit his lower lip.  
“Russ.” Danny pressed his lips together. “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t spent, like, hours in the shower thinking about... uhm... you on your knees... but the fact is...” He took another breath, gesturing at Russell to keep his words for now. “The fact is that it never got anywhere serious with guys and I have never actually... actually touched a dick before that wasn’t mine.”

They stared at each other with parted lips while Russell’s face heated up, not in embarrassment this time but in pure shame. 

“God, Danny... I’m so sorry... I didn’t mean to pressure you, I really... sorry for blurting it out like that!”  
Danny managed a tiny smile and reached out to run a finger down Russell’s cheek. “No, you didn’t, not at all, because you told me you want to uh... suck... me, not the other way round and...”  
Russell swallowed hard and bit his lower lip.  
“Hey.” Danny’s smile softened. “Come here.” And he pulled Russell into another kiss. 

Russell snuggled up against him again with a sigh. “I’m still sorry for coming at you like that,” he whispered.  
“It’s not as if this particular topic of me being a cock virgin has come up before.” Danny chuckled under his breath.  
“Yeah...” Russell closed his eyes. “I always thought you’re so gorgeous you could have your pick anywhere.”  
Danny chuckled again. “You’re biased.”  
“Like fuck I am.”

They both chuckled this time.

“The thing is,” Danny began after sobering a little. “I guess figuring out you’re gay isn’t easy at first, but figuring you actually swing both ways is kinda hard. Or it was for me, anyway. So I kind of... I kept looking at girls and... uh... regarding guys I’m... kinda... a late bloomer.”  
“So,” Russell said after a pause. “Against all my own expectations, I’m actually the one with more experience here?”  
“Yep.”  
“Well shit.”  
“Why?”  
“Because... because so far I was always the one getting the hints, not giving them.”  
“Hey.” Danny pulled him close. “We figure that out.”  
“So what now?”  
“Now?” Danny chuckled again. “Now I’d very much like to kiss you some more.”  
Russell propped himself up again and leaned over Danny to happily comply. 

Hands began to roam again, and their breathing began to pick up speed. At one point Russell sat up on his knees to let his hands and eyes roam across Danny’s chest and abdomen, and Danny watched him with heavy eyelids. Russell’s hands were trembling, a light of sheer and incredulous awe in his eyes. 

“God, you’re so gorgeous...” He whispered.  
Danny smiled with a breathless little huff. “Well that makes two of us,” he whispered back.  
Biting his lip, Russell cradled his face in his hands and leaned forward, peppering it with tiny, soft kisses.  
“Hey...” Danny snorted softly. “That tickles.”  
Russell leaned back a little, eyes brimming with emotion.  
“Kiss me some more?”

They opened their lips into the kiss and their breathing picked up speed again. Russell resumed tracing his hands over Danny’s body, but he stopped every time he reached the thickening line of hair of his treasure trail where it vanished behind the waistband of the black denim. 

And then, Danny ran one of his hands that had caressed Russell’s back down his arm, and without breaking the kiss took Russell’s hand, moved it lower and pressed it onto his crotch where he held it in place with his own. 

The moan that escaped them both at that sensation had a different quality than the ones before. Their kisses turned from passionate to wild and greedy in an instant with Russell palming the hardness under his hand. Then he leaned back with a gasp. 

“Can I take those off?” He asked in a shaky whisper.  
Danny swallowed hard, moistened his lips with a flick of his tongue and nodded.

After a deep, trembling breath he took in a vain attempt to calm himself Russell moved lower and his hands were shaking so badly that he almost couldn’t get a hold of the first button. 

“Oh shit,” Danny whispered suddenly as Russell popped the second button.  
Russell froze and looked up at him with widening eyes. “What?”  
Danny shook his head with a crooked, little smile. “If I’d have known this... man, I wouldn’t have put on boxers this morning.”  
Russell blinked a few times in mild confusion.  
“Come on, you know how ridiculous a boner looks in boxer shorts, right?”  
Dropping his head with a sigh, Russell shook his head and resumed what he had been doing. 

Two buttons and a bit of slightly undignified squirming later, Russell was able to drop the black jeans next to the bed, but to judge by his facial expression he couldn’t find anything ridiculous about the sight before him. He hastily scrambled out of the bed and set a new world record in getting rid of skin-tight denim trousers before falling into bed again. 

Legs entwining and arms tightening around each other they kissed again, hungrily and messily, moaning softly against each other lips. Then Russell’s right hand left Danny’s back and wandered down again to palm Danny’s erection through the black fabric of his shorts.

“Can I take those off, too?” Russell asked in an urgent whisper.  
Danny hesitated and Russell immediately removed his hand and sat up. He met Danny’s eyes and ran a hand down his cheek. “Hey.”  
Danny swallowed and tried to smile.  
“Promise me something?”  
“Anything.”  
Russell chuckled softly and ran his thumb across Danny’s cheek. “Promise me that you’ll never ever do anything, or let me do anything, that you don’t one hundred percent want, okay? Don’t ever let me do anything, don’t ever do anything just to do me a favour, okay? You gotta promise me that everything that ever happens, happens because we both want it.”  
Danny nodded.  
“Promise me.”  
After a deep breath, Danny nodded. “I promise.”  
“And I promise too.” Russell leaned forward to place a soft kiss onto Danny’s lips. “You okay?”  
Danny closed his eyes. “Yes. And yes.”  
“Uh?”  
He opened his eyes again with a twitch of lips. “The answer is yes.”

For a moment they looked at each other, chests heaving, before Russell leaned down for another hungry kiss. Then he straightened up and slowly hooked his fingers into the waistband of Danny’s boxer shorts. He looked up once again and Danny nodded. 

“Probably should’ve done some trimming,” Danny whispered, eyes firmly closed.  
“Bullshit.” Russell dropped the fabric. “You’re not a stupid fucking hipster.”  
Danny snorted and opened his eyes again.  
Russell smiled up at him. “You’re gorgeous. Whoever told you otherwise is a fucking cock waffle.”

That was one too many and Danny burst out into nervous, slightly hysterical laughter. Only for a few seconds, though, then his laughter turned into a moan when Russell’s hand closed around his dick. Without letting go, Russell lowered himself down again and began to move his hand in slow and gentle strokes. 

It took Danny a moment to remember how to breathe. 

They exchanged a few more breathless, messy kisses before Russell sat up on his knees again. He adjusted his grip and Danny pressed his head into the pillow with a groan.

Without stopping what his hand was doing Russell leaned over Danny’s body and began to trail kisses up and down his pectorals, then he let go of his dick in favour of fondling his stones while kissing and gently nibbling the dark pink nipples. He moved up towards Danny’s neck and the kisses turned into gentle bites. 

Then Russell let go of the stones and closed his hand around Danny’s trembling erection again, and from there on it was only a matter of moments, maybe a dozen strokes, before Danny tore the pillow out from under his head and bit into it with a now muffled moan. Russell closed his hand tighter, and Danny all but wailed into the pillow and came, the thick white liquid spurting out between Russell’s fingers and painting white pearls into the dark chest hair. 

Russell took a few deep breaths, picked the pillow from Danny’s face and brushed a few strands of hair away that clung to his temples. Danny didn’t open his eyes, his breathing only slowly calming down. 

Russell left the bed and the bedroom with a very pleased smile and came back moments later with two towels, one of which was wet. 

“God...” He whispered, voice trembling.  
Danny cracked one eye open. “Uh?”  
“I’ve got Danny Barnett naked in my bed,” Russell said and shook his head.  
Managing a grin, Danny patted the mattress next to him. “No autographs, please.”

Russell fell into the bed again with a chuckle and a grin and helped Danny clean himself up. 

They went back to kissing after that, but apparently Danny had now lost his self-conscious shyness and let his own hands roam Russell’s body. He hesitated for a moment, searching Russell’s eyes, and the latter nodded.

“Please,” Russell whispered and Danny swallowed hard and lowered his hand. For a moment, that hand just rested there, palm and fingers cupping the hardness in Russell’s briefs, then he lifted that hand again and hesitantly, trailed a single finger down the length. 

“Wow,” he whispered, a ridiculously love-sick smile appearing on his face. “Russ.... you feel amazing...”  
“Oh god...” Russell swallowed drily and opened his eyes. “Danny...”  
“Can I take your briefs off?”  
“Please!”

Danny chuckled at the urgency in Russell’s voice, but he took his time, his fingers trembling, his heart racing so hard and fast Russell could see the vein throb on the side of his neck. Russell squirmed a bit in impatience, but he kept biting his lips to keep silent and let Danny set the pace. 

Eventually, Danny discarded the fabric and let his eyes roam across the sight before him, Russell spread out naked on the mattress and watching him out of hungry eyes, pupils dilated wide. And Russell was straining his neck, lifting his head because the pillow had fallen out of the bed. 

“Russ?” Danny’s voice was soft, softer than Russell had ever heard it before.  
“Want to look at you,” he gasped. “Want to look at your face when you touch me for the first time.”  
Danny smiled and picked up the pillow, helping Russell to adjust his position. 

Their eyes met, they kissed once, and Danny shifted his attention back to where it had been. The sound Russell made when Danny’s fingers ghosted over his stones could only be described as a whimper. But then he apparently lost his last reservations and closed his fingers around them with gentle pressure. 

“I always like that,” Danny whispered and looked up at Russell who was staring open-mouthed at the ceiling. “You like that, too?”  
Russell couldn’t do more than emit a strained moan. 

A small, but smug smile appeared on Danny’s face and he settled down beside Russell again. Russell immediately buried his face in Danny’s chest and Danny reached for Russell’s trembling dick again. 

“Like that?” Danny asked as he stroked him.  
“Faster,” Russell whispered breathlessly against Danny’s skin.  
Danny complied, his own breathing picking up speed now as well.  
“Faster...”  
His grip tightened and he moved his hands faster.  
“Oh god... Danny...” Russell pressed his face tighter into Danny’s shoulder, his breath hot and moist on Danny’s skin. “Faster...”

As a drummer, Danny had, of course, not only a firm grip and strong fingers but also strong forearms and very flexible wrists. It was no effort for him whatsoever to do as Russell begged him to. Seconds later Russell’s whole body tensed, and he lost all inhibition and rational thoughts. Danny yelped in surprise as teeth dug into the skin on his collarbone with Russell’s high-pitched moan. Then Russell went limp, and after adjusting his position Danny closed both arms around him. 

“Danny?” Russell muttered after several minutes.  
“Hm?”  
“How is it possible that you never did this before?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“That was your first time stroking someone off, right?”  
“Technically.”  
Russell peeled his face out of the crook between Danny’s neck and shoulder. “Technically?”  
“The fact that I’m a cock virgin doesn’t mean I ignored my own, you know?”  
Russell chuckled and trailed a finger down Danny’s cheek. “Were.”  
“Uh?”  
“You were a cock virgin.”

Danny blinked a few times and looked at Russell again, a soft, incredulous smile on his face. “Right... No longer a cock virgin.”  
“And?”  
Danny placed a kiss onto the tip of Russell’s nose. “Nothing will ever be the same.”  
“No.” Russell buried both hands in Danny’s hair. “Come here.”

They exchanged a few more kisses before remembering to clean up. And while their beers weren’t really as cold and sparkling anymore as they would have liked, they still settled down with them in the bed, sitting against the headboard and sipping beer while exchanging lovesick little grins. 

Once they had finished their beer they settled down again for more cuddles and kisses, skin on skin, with roaming hands and entwining legs. It didn’t take long for them to get hard again, and they were moaning softly into their kisses while pressing their bodies together. Their groins touched, their hard erections sliding together, and Russell broke the kiss with a groan and dug the fingers of one hand into Danny’s hip to increase the friction. Their hard breaths turned into moans as they moved, searching friction, pressure, contact; occasionally one of them would reach down and adjust his dick in search for a better angle. 

And then suddenly they found the right one, the right position, the right tilt of hips, for their dicks to slot perfectly together. Moaning and gasping they moved, lost the angle, found it again, and holding on to each other’s hips they increased their speed and pressure. Only to lose the angle again after two minutes.

Russell threw himself onto his back with a growl of frustration. “Oh for fuck’s sake! I can’t come like this!”  
Danny seemed more amused than frustrated. “Come on, it can’t always work out...”  
“Like fuck it does...” Russell hissed through gritted teeth and closed his hand around his throbbing dick. “God damnit...”

“God...” Danny’s voice darkened into a smoky, husky whisper. “Can I watch you?”  
Russell’s eyes flew open. “What?”  
“Do yourself.”  
Russell slowly turned his head. “You want to watch me beat myself off?”  
Danny nodded, licking his lips.  
Huffing out a shaky chuckle Russell dropped his head. “If that’s what turns you on...”  
As an answer, Danny pulled him closer and trailed a hand across Russell’s chest, brushing a nipple with his fingernail.

That was all that Russell needed, and holding Danny’s eyes with a smouldering gaze he moved his hand, increasing speed and pressure without taking his eyes of Danny. They were both breathing almost equally hard and fast, and when Russell came, his shout of Danny’s name was only muffled by Danny’s chest he was pressing his face against.

His cheek against the skin of Danny’s chest Russell closed his eyes and let his breathing calm down again, listening to Danny’s heartbeat. Danny’s fingers toyed with his hair, and Russell hummed softly in contentment. 

“That was so hot,” Danny whispered after a moment.  
“Really?” Russell looked up at him with a soft chuckle. “Was it?”  
“You have no idea.” His heart was visibly still beating hard and fast.  
Russell reached out and caressed Danny’s cheek with his fingertips. “And you?”  
Danny swallowed. “You wanna watch me too?”  
“Whatever you want,” Russell whispered back. “Promised, remember? It only happens if we both want it.”  
“And what do you want?” Danny ran the back of his fingers up Russell’s cheek.  
“I really want to blow you right now.”

Danny froze, then he opened his hand and slowly, brushed his thumb across Russell’s lower lip. Lowering his eyelids Russell flicked that thumb with the tip of his tongue before sucking it between his lips. Danny’s eyes widened and his pupils dilated when Russell did _things_ with his tongue, the silver tongue they so often joked about...

“Oh god...”  
Russell looked at him and withdrew his mouth with a soft, wet plop.  
“You really want me in your mouth, right?”  
Russell lasciviously licked his lips, and Danny’s throat was suddenly so dry that it made a clicking sound as he swallowed.

Russell smiled and sat up again to grab the towel to clean himself off. And when he looked at Danny again the latter settled back down on the pillow and reached out to cup Russell’s cheek in his hand. 

“Your mouth...” He whispered, hardly audible.  
Russell closed his eyes and placed a gentle kiss onto Danny’s fingertips. “But you’ve had oral before, right?”  
Danny nodded mutely.

He took his time in moving down there, trailing little nips and kisses in his wake, and his smile widened as he listened to Danny’s rasping, heavy breaths coming faster and harder. He timed it with the moment Danny managed to lift his head to look, meeting his eyes before placing a soft, wet kiss onto his stones. Danny’s head fell back again with a strained and suffocated, high-pitched gasp.

Russell watched with a wicked little smile as Danny pressed the pillow onto his face again while he languidly ran his tongue up Danny’s cock, from base to tip, before sucking the tip between his lips. 

It wasn’t as if Russell had a world of experience when it came to blowjobs. He had blown his first two boyfriends, and then later one random guy at a party, but what he lacked in practise he made up for with dedication.

And pillow or not, Russell was glad as fuck that there was a room between his bedroom and his father’s. Danny came on a bellow that hurt Russell’s chest just from listening to it. He had a second or two in which to think he might have taken one of the flavoured condoms from the bathroom but that was moot point now, so he focused on gently working Danny through his aftershocks and what the hell, he had swallowed before even if it wasn’t the most pleasant thing, but this was Danny after all, and everything about him was gorgeous and amazing, even his jizz. 

When Russell looked up again, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he was a little worried that Danny had actually passed out, but then Danny tore the pillow off his face and gulped down some air with a drawn out moan. Russell quickly crawled to his side and cradled Danny in his arms. 

He looked up at him out of misty eyes. “Did you swallow that?”  
Russell smiled, lowering his eyelids.  
“Why?”  
“Because.”  
“Dude...” Danny’s head fell back and he closed his eyes again. 

Feeling utterly pleased with himself Russell made himself comfortable and combed his fingers through Danny’s hair. He had fantasised about that hair for so long now that he wondered how he would ever be able to keep his hands away from it again. The thought made him smile and he nuzzled the top of Danny’s head. It was then that he noticed how heavy that head leaned against his chest, and how slowly and deeply Danny was breathing. 

Russell’s heart was about to burst free from his ribcage. Danny had fallen asleep in his arms. 

Somehow, Russell managed to pull up the blanket to cover both of them, but the light would have to switch itself off for all he cared. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep listening to Danny’s deep and even breathing.

* * *

Russell woke up in an empty bed, but even as he stretched and wondered if he had only dreamed everything his eyes fell onto the pillow, and the long black hair that stuck there. He picked it up with a grin and buried his face into the dent, inhaling deeply. Yes, that was Danny all right. The clothes strewn haphazardly around the room were another clue as well that it had been no dream. He had spent the night naked with Danny. Having sex.

He had had Danny Barnett’s dick in his mouth. 

He had given Daniel Barnett a blowjob, had had his actual penis in his mouth and swallowed a load of his jizz.

Russell threw one arm across his forehead, his grin impossible to rein in. 

“Yep, life is good.”

The door opened and the smell of coffee made him open his eyes again.

“Dude,” Danny said as he pushed the door closed with his foot. “You could’ve bloody told me your dad gets up at the crack of dawn!”  
“Why?”  
Danny looked down at himself. “Because I’d have put on some clothes before going downstairs to hunt for coffee!”  
Russell had to laugh. “Danny, I don’t think you can insult my dad’s sensibilities with wearing only boxers.”  
“It’s not your dad’s sensibilities I’m talking about!”

“Danny...” Russell rolled over onto his side. “Come back to bed.”  
Danny sighed, shook his head with a smile and did just that.

Russell’s phone buzzed and he picked it up, looked at the screen and burst out laughing. Looking at the message, Danny had to join in. 

Russell texted back and in the end, exchanged a look with Danny.

“So.”  
Danny grinned. “So?”  
“You heard her.” Russell dropped the phone and pushed Danny onto his back before rolling on top of him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I promise this isn't all about porn... but here, have some more porn.  
> So maybe they aren't shagging like bunnies yet, but they definitely have lots of fun.

After Russell and Danny had finally managed to figure themselves out, Emma had readily assumed they were now shagging like bunnies. 

Neither Russell nor Danny corrected her assumption. Not that they didn’t have lots of fun in bed together, they just hadn’t gone all the way yet. So far, none of them missed anything, and even if there had been some groping around down there Danny had discovered he wasn’t comfortable with it, and the topic hadn’t come up again. 

Danny also seemed to have a few performance issues, and Russell had needed quite some time to convince him that the goal was not to get him off as fast as possible but for both of them to enjoy the process. And as his self-confidence grew, he became more adventurous. 

But there was still nothing Russell loved more than holding Danny in his arms after having given him a really good blowjob. And Russell loved giving head (he had called himself a cockslut for that once, and Danny had clouted him over the head and told him to stop talking bullshit). So far, however, Danny hadn’t returned the favour, and Russell was happy enough because Danny’s strong hands and arms made for spectacular hand jobs. But that particular Friday, Danny had apparently decided it was time to step it up a notch.

After he had retaliated from the blowjob Russell had given him, he propped himself up on one elbow and gave Russell a shy smile.

Russell smiled back with a slightly questioning look in his eyes.  
“Russ...”  
“Hm?”  
“I want to try something.”  
Russell’s heartbeat sped up a little. “Okay?”

Danny nodded, his lips pressed together. “I’d... uh... I’d like to try that too.”  
“Try what?” Russell asked with a dry throat.  
“Blow you,” Danny replied, somehow not really able to meet his eyes.  
Russell took a deep breath and rested a hand on Danny’s cheek to make Danny look at him. “Hey.”  
“Yeah, I know.” Danny nodded with a shy smile. “But I want that. I really do. I just... uh... I don’t know how it turns out.”  
“It will turn out spectacular,” Russell replied with a smile. “Just as amazing as you are.”  
Danny’s smile turned into an embarrassed grin.

“I won’t stop you,” Russell whispered after a moment, running his fingers down Danny’s cheek in a gentle caress. “But you have to really want it.”  
“I do really want it. At least I want to try... I don’t know if I... uh...”  
“You can change your mind anytime.” Russell leaned forward and placed a tender kiss onto Danny’s lips. “No pressure. Really.”

Danny nodded and swallowed. Then he smiled again, and leaned forward for a more intense kiss. He gently pressed Russell onto his back. 

“You’re so gorgeous,” Danny whispered against his skin as he trailed his lips down Russell’s chest.

Russell emitted a deep sigh, the hairs on his arms rising as they usually did, caused by the sensation of Danny’s kisses. It was the combination of the soft scratch of stubble and the even softer scratch of the goatee that always did him in.

And to have that sensation now travel lower down his body than it had ever before made him squirm in anticipation. He was getting hard in mere moments, and he felt Danny’s hands tremble as they roamed his skin. 

“Oh god, Russ...”  
Russell swallowed and opened his eyes again. “Hm?”  
“You got such a beautiful cock...”  
“Really?” Russell chuckled under his breath.  
“Really.”  
“So you see how it feels for me when I say that?” He lifted his head.

Danny looked up and their eyes met. Danny’s smile was shy and slightly nervous, but he lowered his eyes again and then his head to place a kiss on the inside of Russell’s thigh. 

“Oh god...” Russell arched his back.  
“Wow.” Danny’s breath ghosted over Russell’s stones and made him moan. “You smell fantastic.” 

That was something Russell hadn’t expected but his chuckle died when he felt Danny’s lips on the sensitive skin. The next touch was firmer, and then even more so, and it was hot and wet, and Russell’s moans pitched higher with the caress of Danny’s tongue and the soft hums of pleasure he emitted. 

“Danny...” Russell whispered, burying his hands into the thick black hair. “Oh god...”  
“I like that,” Danny whispered back, sounding a little incredulous and yet, his voice was husky with arousal. “I have no idea why I haven’t tried that before.”  
“Don’t care,” Russell gasped softly. “You’re doing it now.”

Danny grew bolder and lapped at Russell’s stones with more vigour. Then he sucked one into his mouth, and Russell pressed his forearm onto his mouth to stifle a high-pitched moan. 

Danny moved his head towards the hard and throbbing cock and gently rubbed his cheek up the shaft with a hum of pleasure. Russell squirmed and moaned as he waited for the final touch, but Danny was taking his sweet time to explore. And rushing him was the last thing that Russell wanted but when Danny brushed his lips down his dick again he was about to burst. 

“God, Danny, your mouth...” He whimpered, and just as he was about to regret his words Danny chuckled and moved his lips up again.  
“That’s what I’m here for, right?” Another kiss, and then he closed his hand around Russell’s cock to tug the foreskin back. Then he placed a kiss onto the sensitive skin laid bare before him, and Russell almost wailed. 

Danny opened his lips and Russell forgot how to breathe. 

Both of them had forgotten about the tongue stud.

* * *

Anders sat bolt upright, torn from deep sleep to being fully awake in the space of a heartbeat. He blinked in confusion, his heart racing, and then he realised he had heard Russell scream. He swung his legs out of the bed without thinking, but just as he reached the door he heard the scream again.

That wasn’t a nightmare.

Anders raised both eyebrows and went back to bed. 

“For fuck’s sake, Russell.”

Hiding his head under the pillow didn’t really help, and in the end, Anders headed into the bathroom, took some toilet paper and wadded it up into two balls. Plugging those into his ears helped, and he could close his eyes again.

Not that he had anything against his son getting properly laid, but he didn’t really need to listen to every detail.

* * *

The moment the small bead of metal touched the skin of his bell-end and the slit at the tip, Russell completely lost control over his vocal chords. 

Neither of the two could ever have imagined the effect, but Danny, now emboldened, tried the trick again, sliding the stud in his tongue across the tip of Russell’s dick and carefully inserting it into the slit, but he looked up a little worried at Russell’s mindless scream.

“Shit, am I hurting you?”  
“No...” It was a grating, shaky whisper. “No... Danny... oh god...”  
Danny smiled and went back to experimenting. 

After putting on a strawberry flavoured condom Danny kept the stud in his mouth and only used the tip of his tongue and his lips, and when he was done, and after having disposed of the used condom, Russell had been reduced to a shaky, sweating mess. 

There was still a faint taste lingering on Russell’s lips from the condom he had used on Danny, and their lazy and gentle kisses tasted of strawberry and chocolate. They fell asleep curled around each other, Russell utterly sated and Danny utterly pleased with himself.

* * *

Russell almost fell over the vacuum cleaner in front of his door the next morning. 

He couldn’t meet his father’s eyes for the rest of the day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You probably won't believe this, but this chapter is not porn. Just slices of life, just two dorks being dorks. This chapter ties into Chapter 37 of 2V, where Anders muses about several memories regarding Danny and Russ.
> 
> * * *

As usual, Anders was up early on that particular Saturday morning and sat there with his second coffee when he heard steps coming down the stairs. He guessed it to be Danny, and he was right.

Danny looked rather worried, and Anders put down the cup and got up. “Something the matter?”  
“I... uh.” Danny smoothed a few stray strands of hair back. He was wearing a T-shirt and his jeans; ever since he had discovered that Anders was a rather early bird he made sure to put on some more clothes before coming downstairs.

Anders wordlessly made another coffee and offered the cup to Danny. 

“Thanks.” Danny looked into his cup. “I... I think I...” Then he looked up. “Anders, I gotta ask you something.”

Anders gestured at the table, and they sat down.

“What can I do for you?” He asked.  
“See, it’s about Russell.” Danny was still staring into his cup. “He had... he had a nightmare last night.”  
“Oh.” That explained rather a lot, especially Danny’s facial expression and the shadows under his eyes.  
“Yeah and...” Danny huffed out a heavy breath, but he was still not looking at Anders. “It was pretty scary, and... I didn’t know what to do. But I think... I think I fucked it up because...”  
“What happened?”

Danny didn’t reply for a moment, and then he looked up. There was a very deep-seated pain in his eyes. “I tried to wake him up but it took like ages, and when he finally woke up, I tried to... I tried holding him. And it took... it took him forever to calm down again.”  
Anders took a deep breath. “Honestly, you did the right thing. I wouldn’t have done anything else.”  
“Hm.” Danny closed both hands around his cup.

Anders waited. There was clearly something else that was troubling Danny, and he was visibly having a hard time bringing himself to talk about it.

“So... like...” Danny finally picked up his cup and took a sip. “It’s... Russell was...”

Anders took a sip of coffee and waited.

“He wanted me to...”

Now he was beginning to get a hunch, and that would also explain why Danny was so reluctant to talk about it.

Danny swallowed hard, and took a deep, shaky breath. “He... when it was over and he... he had calmed down again somewhat, he was clinging to me like... like a scared child, really...” He shook his head, eyes glued onto the table top. “Then he... he asked me to... uh... Oh shit...” He buried his face in his hands for a moment. “He wanted me to... to fuck him.” The last words were hardly audible anymore.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Anders took a sip of coffee. “And what did you do?”  
Lifting his head very, very slowly, Danny finally met Anders’s eyes again. “I said no.”  
For a moment, Anders had almost expected the contrary, but then he mentally kicked his own ass because he should’ve fucking known that Danny was a better man than that. “And what did Russell do?”  
“He...” Danny cleared his throat, then closed his eyes and violently shook his head. “Fuck! It’s just like...” He ran both hands through his hair with a growl. “He was completely out of his fucking mind! He begged me! He begged me to fuck him!”

Anders felt something cold creep down his spine.

“It was...” Danny was suddenly fighting his tears. “He begged me to, to make it go away. Make it go away, he said. Make me forget this, he said. But... but I didn’t want to. I said no, I don’t want to do this. Not now, not like this. Because...” He blushed viciously.  
Trying to be as tactful as possible, Anders asked calmly: “Because you haven’t gone there yet?”  
Danny nodded mutely and clutched his cup like a lifesaver. 

Anders gave him a moment to get his composure back. 

“Danny,” he said then, gently and cautiously.  
Danny looked up.  
“You did the right thing.”  
“Yeah... I mean... I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to and... I want...” He blushed again. “I want the first time to be better than that.”  
“Understandably,” Anders gave back as matter-of-factly as he could. 

Danny took another sip of coffee and rolled that around in his mouth before he swallowed it. Anders could clearly see there was something else, too.

“So... I mean... I just want to know if there’s something else I can do? Something I can try? Because... I felt... I felt like a total fucking failure because I... I wanted him to feel better and I couldn’t do anything.”  
“Danny,” Anders said gently. “You did the only thing you could do. I never did anything else. I mean, obviously he never asked me to you-know-what, and I’m proud of you that you didn’t cave in...”  
“There was nothing to cave in,” Danny cut in darkly. “He wasn’t right in the head. And... I’m sure he already feels rotten when he wakes up, but he would feel worse than like shit if that had happened. I mean... fuck...” He put his cup down. “We talked about it, and we’re both not ready yet, and I really... I don’t want it to happen when one of us is hardly conscious. And even if we had... even if it hadn’t been the first time, I still wouldn’t have done it.”

Anders nodded slowly, and if it had been possible for him to like Danny any more, he would have. He gave Danny another moment to get himself back together before he spoke.

“You did the best thing you could have done,” he said again. “And I can tell you nothing else, really, because there was nothing else I could do either. Hold him, don’t let him flail around or fall out of the bed. Hold him until he calms down again and keep talking to him to help him snap out of it. There’s nothing else I can tell you.”

Danny nodded mutely and emptied his cup. 

“Thank you,” he said in a low voice. “I’ll... I will remember that.”

Anders watched him head for the coffee maker and watched him as he headed back upstairs with two cups. There was a small, if sad, smile on his lips as he made himself another coffee.

* * *

* * *

Forced by having to finish a project for an extremely hard to satisfy customer, Anders had been spending every afternoon and evening of that week in his home office. But now he was finally about to wrap it up, and tomorrow would see the end of this.  
And then, thank god, it was weekend; time to recover to be fit for next week’s madness.

At one point he could hear Russell and Danny head down the stairs and a look at his watch confirmed that yes, it was dinnertime. He just didn't want to get up now only to have to come back again; he wanted to finish this and be done with it.

Somewhat later he could hear Russell begin to play the piano, and a small smile appeared on his lips.

Eventually, he was able to press the save button for the last time. He closed his laptop rather forcefully. 

“Good riddance, you fucker.”

After closing his office door behind him, Anders headed downstairs and towards the kitchen. Russell was sitting at the piano, but Danny was nowhere to be seen. 

It was when Anders walked back to the table that he spotted him: Danny was sitting on the floor next to the stool Russell was sitting on, with his eyes closed and his back leaning against Russell's leg. Occasionally, Russell would look down at him with a soft and slightly lovesick smile.

After Russell had finished the last song, Danny opened his eyes again and looked up. 

“Russ?” He asked in a low voice. “Can you play [The Piano](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo9G9C6KvCE)?”  
“I am playing the piano, you egg.”  
Danny snorted. “You know what I mean.”  
“I do.” Russell smiled down at him and he reached out to rest his hand on Danny's head. “Sorry. Of course.”

Danny smiled, and Russell ran his fingers through a few strands of Danny's hair and down Danny's cheek. Danny leaned into the touch, closed his eyes and placed a tender kiss onto Russell’s fingertips. Russell's smile softened and he closed his eyes as well.

That particular piece was one Russell needed no score for, he played it by heart, and as usual when he was deeply emotionally invested in a piece, with his heart on his sleeve as well. He looked as if he was in physical pain as he played. 

As Anders now looked at them – Russell with his lips parted and his eyes closed, and Danny leaning against his leg with his eyes closed as well and totally lost in another realm – he briefly wondered how long it would be until one of them proposed to the other. That thought put a wistful smile on his face.

He seriously craved another coffee right now but he stayed where he was; he was sure the noise of the coffee maker would break the spell for the two. So he leaned back and listened to Russell playing while he waited. It was hard not to be carried away by the music. 

Anders opened his eyes again when he heard Russell shut the lid of the piano, and he got up as the two entered the kitchen to make themselves a coffee. They shared a very tender kiss as they waited, eyes locked with each other, and Anders had to avert his eyes, suddenly feeling like an intruder. 

Equipped with their cups they then walked past Anders with a smile for him and headed upstairs. As he made himself a coffee Anders watched them disappear with a smile and a shake of his head. 

Earplugs would most likely be in order for tonight.

* * *

* * *

Carrying two shopping bags Anders stepped through the door with an angry huff, annoyed as fuck about people who seemed to be unable to operate a debit card and subsequently held up a gigantic queue at the till, and during rush hour, no less.

Anders put down the two bags and was just about to ask Russell to give him a hand with emptying the boot when he heard him yell from the living room.

“You bloody motherfucker!”  
“What? Don't tell me you didn't see that coming?”  
“Why did you have to go and do that for, you dickhead!”  
“What do you mean, why did I have to do that? You think I just let you get away with that, you bloody wanker?”  
“Call me a wanker again and you'll regret it, you asshole!”  
Danny huffed out an angry laugh. “Wanker, wanker, wanker! What you gonna do about it, you sorry twat, huh?”  
“Shut the fuck up, you fuckturd!”

Anders stepped closer, a knot of worry forming in his stomach. 

“Come on,” Danny snarled. “You're just pissed off because you didn't think of that yourself, you lunkhead!”  
“You know what? You can just go and find someone else to fuck with like that, you bastard!”  
“Yeah sure, and you'll have all the fun doing it all by yourself, you little fuckstick!”  
“Fuck you!”

His spine tingling, Anders stepped into the door frame.

The two of them looked at him over their shoulders and grinned.

“Hey Dad!”  
“Hey Anders!”

They were sitting side by side on the sofa, each with a game controller in his hand. On the screen, in front of a background that looked like some sort of beat-the-crap-out-of-each-other game, stood in big, bold letters: **You lose!**

“You want a revenge?” Danny asked.  
“Nah.” Russell dropped his controller. “I just suck at this game.”  
“Grab another coffee?”  
“Sure.” He got up and Danny did so as well. “At least you can't beat me in drinking coffee.”  
“You're just a rotten loser, you know that?”

Anders leaned into the door frame as they passed him and crossed his arms. 

He couldn't decide if he wanted to kick them or hug them right now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It can't always be roses. But they will always have each other's back.

It was one of those boring rainy Friday afternoons when the skies just have decided that cheerful weather doesn't exist anymore. Russell and Anders were sitting at the table with their coffee, in silence after having run out of conversation topics, when the doorbell rang.

Anders got up and opened the door, his smile dying when he looked at Danny who was standing on the doorstep with a pale face and swollen red eyes.

His voice was rough. “Is Russell home?”  
“He is.” Anders stepped aside and cast a worried look at Danny’s back. 

Russell had heard Danny’s voice and had already gotten up, and his eyes widened when he looked at him.

“Fuck, Danny… what the fuck happened to you?”  
Danny swallowed, shook his head and dragged a hand down his face.  
“Danny?” Russell’s voice softened as he stepped closer. “What’s wrong?”

Danny dropped his hand again but was visibly groping for words. 

Now Russell had reached him and closed both hands around Danny’s forearms. “Danny?”  
Danny shook his head again. “Russ, I…shit…” A tear ran down his cheek. “My grandma... Aunt Laura called Mum this morning, she… she said she had planned a shopping tour with Nana and she didn’t answer her phone, and then she went to check, and she… Russ… she said she was just lying in front of her bed and…”

Russell exchanged a dismayed look with his father and looked at Danny again. Danny dropped his head with a hoarse sob.

“They called an ambulance but… they said it was too late… Russ…”  
“Oh no... Danny…” Russell closed his arm around him. “God, Danny…”  
Danny buried his face into Russell’s shoulder. “Fuck I can’t… I mean she can’t… she can’t just die like that! She’s only sixty-nine, for fuck’s sake, she can’t just be dead!”

Russell cast a desolate look at his father, and Anders sighed with tight lips before heading for the kitchen to make more coffee. Russell closed his eyes again and hugged Danny as hard as he could.

“She can’t be dead, Russ… she can’t just be dead…”

Russell swallowed and ran a hand down Danny’s back. Then he leaned back and with a gentle but firm touch, dragged Danny towards the living room where he fell into a sofa with a sob, his elbows on his knees and his face buried in his hands. Russell sat down next to him and slung his arms around Danny’s shoulders.

Anders sat wordlessly down on Danny’s other side and put the coffee down in front of him. Both of them could remember Danny having talked about his grandmother, and how she had had a considerable part in his childhood as his babysitter and surrogate mum as both his parents had to work in their newly started business. To lose her like that… of course it would hurt him to the core of his soul.

The coffee went cold without Danny even looking at it. 

It was about half an hour since Danny’s arrival when his phone rang. It took him a while to unfreeze and answer the call. “Hey Dad.”

He listened with his eyes closed, and there were a few more silent tears as he did so. 

“I… I don’t know,” he whispered hoarsely. “I really… Okay…”

There was another pause in which Anders and Russell could hear Danny’s father talk without being able to understand what was being said.

“Okay…” Danny swallowed and nodded. “I… okay.”

Danny ended the call and stared at his phone for a moment. 

“Dad wanted to know if I want… they’re going to the hospital to… to look at her and say good bye. He asked me if I want to come too.”  
“And… do you?” Russell asked cautiously.  
Danny shrugged. “I don’t know… I don’t think so. I don’t… I don’t want to see her like that. I want… I don’t want to see her like that.”

“Danny,” Anders said gently. “Maybe it’s not a bad idea. I think it could give you the closure you need to come to terms with this.”  
Danny looked up. “But I don’t want… I want to remember her like she was.”  
“You will,” Anders replied. “Eventually, you will. It’s those memories that matter, not this one.”

True, Anders would never forget the sight. His father’s body slumping to the ground, into the pool of his own blood, and his head had fallen in a way so Anders had been able to see his face. Pale and bloodless, with his eyes half-open, but already no longer a person. A dead body. An empty shell. Sometimes he regretted that he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes averted. Most times though he didn’t.

He didn’t think much about his father in general, but as it was, those memories that occasionally reared their heads were of him alive, not lying in a heap in a patch of crimson on white snow. 

Danny met his eyes and whatever he saw, it made him believe what Anders said. He dropped his head again and stared at his phone with an expressionless face for a long time. Eventually he looked up, but he was looking at the opposite wall.

“Maybe you’re right,” he whispered. “Maybe I should go.”  
“I think you should,” Anders replied.  
Danny nodded and after a moment, he slowly got up.

Russell walked closely behind him, and as Danny reached for the door, he slipped into his trainers.

“Russ?”  
“I’m coming along,” Russell said calmly. “I’m not letting you go there alone. And you’re going to give me your keys because I don’t think you should be driving.”

Danny froze, but after a moment he held out his hand. Russell took the keys, and they left the house together.

* * *

After they had left the car Russell was observing Danny in silence. Danny’s face was pale and expressionless, but he was breathing rather fast, and it had been especially bad when he had texted his father on their way here. Russell hesitantly reached out to offer one of his hands, and Danny closed his fingers around it in an iron grip. Together they entered the building.

Danny’s parents and a woman who Russell guessed to be his Aunt Laura, his mother’s sister by the look of it, were still waiting for them in the entrance hall, with Danny’s mother leaning heavily on her husband. She looked as devastated as Danny did while Danny’s father looked a bit more composed. His eyes were slightly reddened as well, however.

Danny hesitantly let go of Russell’s hand and walked towards his parents, and his mother let go of her husband to give her son a hug. Russell found himself a bench and watched the four of them disappear down a hallway, then he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He was trying not to grit his teeth as he waited. 

God, what a clusterfuck. This wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. 

He didn’t have to wait for too long, however; it was about twenty minutes later when they came back. Russell got up and felt his stomach drop as he looked at Danny.

Danny’s father was supporting his wife who was in tears again, and his other arm was draped around his sister-in-law. Danny walked behind them, his face as grey as ash and his eyes utterly empty.

He walked past them when he spotted Russell, and Russell just opened his arms. Danny stepped into his embrace and held on for dear life. 

“Daniel, you coming home with us?” His father asked in a low voice.  
Russell could feel Danny tense. “I… I think I… I wanna be with Russell.” He looked up, first at his father and then at Russell. “Is that okay?”  
“’Course it is,” Russell replied firmly.  
“All right then.” Danny’s father nodded, then looked at Russell too.

Roger Barnett was a man built like a brick house, with all the charms of one to boot, and it had taken Russell some time to stop feeling intimidated by him. But after Russell had had to learn what a real giant was, Danny’s father was Mr Nice Guy Next Door and Russell calmly met his eyes. “I’ll take care of him,” he said. 

Mr Barnett gave him another nod, and he and his wife and his sister-in-law headed for the exit. 

Danny looked as if he was about to crumple into a heap any moment. Russell draped an arm around him and silently, guided him back towards the car as if he was an invalid.

Once back and equipped with more coffee that Anders supplied in silent support, Danny sat on the sofa in the living room staring at the carpet. He hadn’t said a word since the hospital.

Russell sat down next to him for a moment, then knelt on the sofa and closed both arms around Danny’s shoulders. 

At that moment Danny finally broke; he fell against Russell with a desperate sob and then went thoroughly and completely to pieces. Russell held him as tightly as he could, gently rocking him back and forth, all in silence because there was absolutely nothing he could say that would offer Danny any kind of comfort.

* * *

Danny spent most of the following five days with Russell; apparently he could draw more comfort from him than from his parents. He didn’t talk much during those days, and he didn’t eat much either, and all that Anders could do was supply coffee and food and offer silent support. 

Danny was home for a few hours on Monday and Tuesday each, but when he came back on Tuesday he was completely crushed. Russell made him sit down, gave him a hug, and Anders supplied coffee again. 

Occasionally, Anders felt like he had done little else lately than supplying his boys with coffee, but there was nothing else he could do, really. So if him being a silent, mobile coffee maker could help a little, then a silent, mobile coffee maker he would be. 

Clutching his cup so hard his knuckles were white, Danny stared into his coffee. A tear fell from his cheek and landed right in his cup, but he didn't seem to notice.

“They... they're going through Nana's things...” He began hesitantly. “They... I mean, they gotta empty the apartment before the 31st so... but there's...” He dragged a hand down his face.  
Russell silently reached for his other hand and Danny let him pry the cup out of his fingers.

“Asked me if I want a few things as keepsakes,” Danny went on. “But there's really only one thing I wanted... and it's not there anymore.”  
Russell brought Danny's hand up and kissed his knuckles.  
“She... Nana had a ring, you know?” He finally looked up, and the smile on his face was heartbreaking. “It was... it was her engagement ring. It was gold, and it had a stone... an opal, I think. It was... it's the most beautiful stone in the world.”

Russell didn't take his eyes off his boyfriend, but whatever it was that Danny looked at, it wasn't something anyone else could see. 

“I used to play with it, you know? When I was little. It had... it was... it looks like... it has like a million shades of blue and green and there's a golden vein that looks like it's made of stars, and... and I used to play with it and pretend it was a magic ring...” There were more tears running down his cheeks now, clinging to his goatee in shiny beads. “Like... like my own wardrobe to Narnia, you know? I could sit with that thing for hours and... and sometimes Nana would play along and we would both go... somewhere else...” Danny's voice broke and he covered his face in his hands. “But it's not there anymore,” he sobbed. “There was an envelope with her things... from... from the hospital, but the ring wasn't there anymore.”

Russell was close to tears himself now; it was almost too much for him to watch his beloved Danny suffer that much. And there was absolutely nothing he could do to ease that pain. It broke his heart.

That evening, after Russell had tucked Danny in as if he was a child, he headed down the stairs with heavy steps and fell into a chair. Anders, who was doing the dishes, looked up at his son but Russell was staring at his phone. 

“Russ?”  
He looked up. “I could really use a magic ring right now.”  
“Yeah, those would come in handy. Lots of times.”  
“Hm.” Russell stared at his phone again.

After a long moment of silence, Russell took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders, and dialled a number.

“Hello... good evening, Mr Barnett, I... I'm sorry if this is inconvenient but I have to ask something, it's because of Danny...”

As sad as he felt right now, Anders smiled to himself with a warm feeling of pride and affection for his son as he put the last plate into the dishwasher.

* * *

Danny left again on Wednesday evening before dinner, and Russell sat down at the table with a heavy groan after he had left.

“Russell?” Anders sat down beside him.  
Russell looked up. “Danny asked me if I will go with him to the funeral on Friday.”  
“And? Will you?”  
“Of course! If he wants me there, of course I’ll come!” Then he faltered. “It’s just…” Anders took one of his hands and Russell looked up at him with an unhappy smile. “Dad... I think I need to borrow some clothes.”  
“We get that sorted,” Anders replied and patted Russell’s hand. “Don’t worry about that right now.”

* * *

During an hour in front of Anders’s wardrobe that Friday morning, both Anders and Russell remarked several times how handy it was right now that they had the same size in about everything. 

So now Russell was wearing a black suit and a black silk shirt but no tie, and he could even borrow a pair of his father’s dress shoes. It was obvious that Russell felt a little uncomfortable in the clothes that were so unlike to what he usually wore, but he forced himself to stop rolling his shoulders get over himself. His hair wasn’t quite long enough for a pony tail yet, so there was nothing to be done about that unruly mass of blond curls but brushing them back and hope for the best. 

“Here,” Anders said and held his car keys out to him. “No need to scare the crap out of the people at a funeral with the sight of that green monstrosity.”

Said monstrosity was Russell’s first car, and old and somewhat battered estate that desperately needed a new exhaust pipe, and Russell took the keys with a grateful nod.

“Thanks, Dad. You’re the best.”  
“I know.”

It brought a tiny smile to Russell’s face. 

“Take good care of Danny.”  
“I always do.”  
“You’d be an bloody idiot if you didn’t, and I know for a fact you aren’t one.” 

Anders winked, and Russell’s smile widened a bit.

Russell got into the car and adjusted the driver’s seat and the mirrors, and after a deep breath started the engine and backed out of the driveway.

* * *

Russell was one of the last people to arrive at the cemetery, and he saw Danny stand at the gate, his eyes on the road leading to the parking lot. And since he didn’t expect Russell to arrive in his father’s almost new Holden Monaro, he kept on looking desperately back and forth until Russell had reached him. He put a hand on Danny’s arm and Danny almost jumped out of his skin.

“Jesus, Russell…” He shook his head and ran both hands through his hair to smooth it back. “What the… what happened to you?”  
Russell shrugged. “I borrowed some of my dad’s stuff.”  
Danny looked him up and down. “Are you trying to make a good first impression with the family?” He asked. “’Cause I think the only people you’ve met so far are my folks and Aunt Laura so there's gonna be a lot of judgement.” His face darkened. “As if we didn’t have nothing else to think about today.”  
“Do they know you have a boyfriend, though?”  
Danny managed a small, tired smile. “I think by now most of them do. And if they don’t they’ll find out.”

Together they walked through the gate and headed for the small chapel. And on their way, Russell didn’t fail to notice that Danny was sticking out of the crowd of mourners like the proverbial sore thumb; all the women were wearing black dresses or skirts and blouses, the men wore black or dark suits and black ties. 

Danny, on the other hand, wore his usual black denim, his high, laced, black leather boots, a black sweatshirt and his trademark ankle-length black leather coat that made him look like a cross between Neo and Nick Fury. And since the sweatshirt didn’t have a logo he didn’t need to button up the coat so it was swinging around his legs like a cape. Russell adored that look. Several other people around them very obviously did not.

But from what Russell knew of Danny’s grandmother he was sure that she wouldn’t have wanted Danny to dress up as something he wasn’t and would never be. So his look might not be suitable in most people’s eyes, but it was so utterly _Danny_ that Russell couldn’t imagine she would have minded.

Still holding hands they entered the chapel and Russell could feel Danny tense upon the sight of the coffin. He squeezed his hand, and Danny took a deep breath before he continued towards one of the front rows. There was a white rose on every seat, together with a printed leaflet.

Since Russell was the plus one of one of the closest family members he sat next to Danny in the second row, listening to the sermon and the words of the priest with less than half an ear while holding on to Danny’s hand. Neither he nor Danny even so much as pretended to sing any of the songs that were in the small leaflet. 

At the end of the service and after the last prayer had been said, the organ started playing [A Whiter Shade of Pale](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb3iPP-tHdA), and even though Russell had never met Danny’s grandmother, he felt his throat constrict and his eyes burn.

Danny wordlessly gathered his coat around him and, to Russell’s utter surprise, got up to join the five other men who had left their seats as well. He didn’t look up, didn’t even look at Russell and took his place on the left side of the coffin, between his father and a man Russell had never seen before. 

Russell was stumped; Danny as a pallbearer was about the very last thing Russell would have been able to imagine, and it was an image he neither wanted nor needed to see ever again.

Watching Danny and the tears on his face Russell felt his heart ache, but he also couldn’t suppress the thought that with where Danny was positioned, he was closest to her heart. If that was intentional or not Russell didn’t know and didn’t care. Maybe he would talk to Danny about this, at one point, when the wound was no longer as raw and bleeding as it was right now.

The congregation filed out, and since Russell had been sitting at the very front he was one of the first people to follow the coffin. He kept himself close to Danny’s mother, but she didn’t acknowledge his presence with a single look. Before he had left his seat he had picked up the white roses on his and Danny’s chairs, and now he followed Danny’s grandmother on her last way with a heavy heart, not so much for her as for his boyfriend who was suffering in a way Russell could do absolutely nothing about. 

Once the coffin had been lowered, Russell took his place next to Danny again and handed him the white rose. Danny only nodded as he took it, his eyes on the coffin. 

The headstone had the name of his grandfather engraved on it, and once the grave was filled in, his grandmother’s name would be added. She had been widowed for more than a decade.

At that moment, Danny said what was on Russell’s mind.

“She’s with grandpa again,” he whispered. “She’s missed him so much for the last twelve years.”  
Russell silently took his hand, and Danny entwined his fingers with Russell’s.  
“Bye, Nana,” he whispered as he dropped his rose. “Say hi to grandpa for me.”

Russell felt a lot of eyes on him as he and Danny stepped towards the open grave to drop their roses, and he could only hope that Danny had been right and his first impression was a good one. He probably shouldn’t make such a bloody fuss about it, but he wouldn’t have wanted to upset anyone with his first appearance, especially not during a funeral. But since he was wearing one of his father’s most expensive suits, maybe it wasn’t as bad as he feared. 

Added to that was the fact that he and Danny now headed towards a sleek, grey Monaro instead of a battered old car like Russell’s green estate or Danny’s rustbucket. Not that they needed anyone to approve of their relationship, but the only people who had known him so far were Danny’s parents. And maybe they could now accept him and realise that he was a good match for their son, what with having a sense of social propriety and all that and standing by him through a really hard time.

A woman hailed them as they were crossing the parking lot. “Daniel!”  
Danny turned around. “Aunt Laura?”  
“Oh Daniel...”

Russell let go of Danny's hand and stepped aside as Danny's aunt pulled him into a fierce embrace. 

After stepping back again, Danny's aunt produced a tissue and wiped her eyes, then started twisting her fingers. She took one of Danny's hands, turned it palm upward, and then placed something small there before closing his fingers around it.

“I didn't know it meant so much to you, but your Dad told me. You poor darling... here. It's yours.”  
Danny swallowed hard and opened his hand again. “Thank you,” he whispered hardly audible. “Thank you, Auntie.”

They hugged again, and after she had left, Russell stepped close again. Danny was staring at the ring and Russell could only agree that yes, if there was one magic ring in this world, it would be that one. The stone was of a strange, eerie beauty and the small golden vein looked like a burst of a million stars, or a tiny crack in the fabric of reality. A whole galaxy, a whole universe seemed to rest in that stone that was only the size of a fingernail, and it was all too easy for Russell, despite being an adult, to believe it was the gateway to another world.

  


Danny looked at the ring for a moment longer before putting it on, and it just about fit on his little finger. He looked at his left hand for a moment longer before an incredibly deep and heavy sigh heaved his chest.

They were silent on their way home, but even though he had his eyes on the road, Russell didn't fail to notice that Danny was cradling his left hand in the right one, his eyes firmly on the ring and the beautiful little stone.

Once home, and after changing back into one of his usual outfits, Russell dragged Danny upstairs into his room, settled down into the bed with him, and pulled him close. 

Danny cried himself to sleep in his arms, and he was still sore and hurt for several weeks. Russell never saw him without the ring again but as Danny began to come to terms with his loss, he began to heal.


	8. Interlude -  Dorks in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got my comission in that I made with the amazing [miusart](http://miusart.tumblr.com/) on tumblr. She did a lovely amazing job, don't you think? 
> 
> Aren't they just adorable Dorks in Love?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seona and her mother and Brexit. Oh, and Trump confusing Scotland and England. Insults largely courtesy to various [Scottish twitter users.](http://9gag.com/gag/abZy938/scots-shower-trump-with-glorious-scottish-insults-after-his-brexit-tweet)

Seona was over in Stirling and she and her mother had just lunch when they saw the news on the television.

“They didn’t,” Seona whispered, leaning forward. “They fucking didn’t!”  
“Tell me they didn’t!” Seona’s mother called from the kitchen.  
“They did! They fucking did!”  
“Oh for fucking fuck’s sake!”  
“What is that?” Seona yelled. “What is this shit even? Lobotomist olympics? Stupid English fucksticks!”  
“Aye, there’s a lot of stupid in that country,” Seona’s mother said darkly. “And it all surfaced yesterday.”

The two women watched the news with growing dread. It was like watching a train wreck in slow-motion.

“A revolution without a single shot being fired?” Seona yelled at the screen. “And what about that MP who got shot and stabbed to death, you bloody, cockless fuckwomble?!”  
“That gobble of snot can be happy I’m nowhere near him!” Seona’s mother crossed her arms and glared at the screen. “I’d kick his bollocks out of his mouth.”  
“If he had any,” Seona replied. “That gains you the twat of the year award, you pisspuddle!”

But then, just when they believed their day could not possible get any worse, Trump thought it was a good idea to show up and subsequently, confused Scotland with England. 

“Did that dickface just confuse Scotland and England?” Seona screeched, bristling like a hedgehog. “Who the fuck is using the Trump family brain cell today, you fucknugget?”  
“That man calls himself a leader?” Mary Cockburn adjusted her glasses. “That bloody gobshite couldn’t lead an egg and spoon race.”  
“And Scotland voted remain, you weaselheaded fucknugget!” Seona spat.  
“You toupéd fucktrumpet,” her mother added. “God, what a shitgibbon!”

They exchanged a look.

“Man, I’m seriously looking forward to the next referendum now.”  
“Aye, lassie, me too. We’ll show those slobbering cocksplats some Scottish Spirit this time!”

They started singing _Flower of Scotland_ on top of their lungs, drowning out Trump’s further verbal diarrhoea.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by [_Pour some sugar on me_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UIB9Y4OFPs) by Def Leppard.
> 
> This chapter is set shortly after Russ and Danny met, Russell is seventeen and Danny nineteen.
> 
> * * *

With his guitar strapped to his back and his curls all over the place after a bicycle ride on a windy day Russell pressed the doorbell, and the appearance wasn’t improved as he now took the helmet off. 

Danny’s mother opened the door and Russell brushed a few handfuls of curls back. “Hello, Mrs Barnett, right? I’m Russell. Is Danny home?”  
“Yes, he is. He mentioned you were coming over.” She held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”  
Russell shook her hand with a smile. “Nice to meet you too, Mrs Barnett.” 

She stepped aside and Russell closed the door behind him.

“Daniel!” She called as Russell took off his shoes. “Your friend Russell is here!”

A door opened upstairs and Danny hurried down the stairs. 

“Hey!” Russell grinned and held out his hand.  
“Hey!” Danny took it with a grin and they closed their fingers around the base of each other’s thumbs. “Come on upstairs!”

With his guitar still on his back Russell followed Danny upstairs and into his room. He had a long look around as he shrugged the guitar case off. The general theme was music here and several band posters decorated the walls. Setting his case down, Russell took a closer look and noticed that there were only two bands: Deathwish, a New Zealand heavy metal band that had made world fame within a few years after their first concert at the Auckland festival, and Def Leppard.

“Deathwish, huh?” Russell grinned. “They’re pretty cool.”  
“Pretty cool?” Russell turned around, but Danny grinned. “Pretty motherfucking amazing is what I say!”  
Russell laughed. “Man, I got two of their CDs as well!”  
“Dude.” Danny pointed at his CD rack. He had them all.  
“Not surprised, honestly.” Russell had a look at those CDs. “Can I borrow some of those?”  
“Sure thing.” 

Russell chose a few and stuffed them into a pocket on his guitar case. Then he noticed a small poster on the wall above Danny’s desk. 

“What is that? Is that native American?”  
“It’s the logo of the Raven Drum Foundation.”  
“The what?”

Danny opened his laptop and typed an address into his browser. “Raven Drum Foundation,” he said again. “[Project Resiliency](http://project-resiliency.org/about-us/). Have a look.”

Russell sat down and read about positive changes through support, about PTSD, music and healing. 

“One day when I got some money to spare I’m going to donate,” Danny said. “[Rick Allen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Allen_\(drummer\)) is bloody amazing. He’s my hero.”  
“Rick who?”  
Danny faltered. “Rick Allen?”  
“Who’s Rick Allen?”

Danny looked at Russell as if the latter had asked him who John Lennon was. 

“Dude...” He pointed at a poster of Def Leppard. “He’s the drummer.”  
“Should’ve known it had something to do with drums,” Russell said with a grin.  
Danny grinned as well. “Yeah, rocket science. Anyway. He’s my hero, you know? That man is a miracle.”  
“Enlighten me?”

Danny headed towards the bed and the poster on the wall next to it. 

“Rick lost his arm in an accident, and he didn’t let that stop him. He learned how to play with one arm.”  
“What?” Now Russell got up. “A drummer with one arm? How does that even work?”  
“I have no idea, really.” Danny crossed his arms as he stared at the poster. “I know he had a kit custom made, and all his band mates encouraged him to play on after he had lost the arm. And here he is. A drummer with only one arm.”

Russell crossed his arms as well. “That is bloody amazing.”  
“Yeah. That man has been my inspiration. My hero, really.”  
Smiling, Russell leaned back a little to look at his friend.

“I mean,” Danny said after a moment. “After I discovered Deathwish and watched Jake do those ridiculous stunts with his sticks and his fingers I knew I wanted to be a drummer. But Rick? Dude, if it weren’t for him I’d have given up. So many times, Russ... Seriously. My arms hurt, I couldn’t get it, I just kept fucking it up, really.”  
“All beginnings are difficult, Danny.”  
“I know.” Danny took a step back. “But every time I thought about quitting because I was too slow, too stupid or too clumsy I would look at this poster here, and think that Rick managed to play with one arm. I have two, so there’s no fucking reason why I couldn’t do this.”

They simultaneously looked up and smiled at each other. 

“You know what?” Russell asked then, smiling brightly. “Next time, you pick me up in your car and I take the other guitar, and the amplifier. Then we can play _Pour some sugar on me._ ”  
“Cool!” Danny grinned. “Definitely doing that.”

After a second they both simultaneously looked away. 

“Right... uh.” Danny headed for the door. “Wanna go upstairs see my baby?”  
“Your what now?”  
“My drum kit.”  
“A girl?”  
“Love of my life.”

Grinning again, Russell picked up his guitar case.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anders and Seona and the fact that intimacy does not necessarily equal romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for oursolitaire who asked me for some Anders/Seona domestic bliss, so I hope you like this, my friend! (Even if it's maybe not as blissful as it could be.)

Since it was a common occurrence that Seona was home before him on Fridays, Anders didn’t think anything of it to see her car in the garage when he came home.  
What did puzzle him when he came in, however, was that her bag was on the table but she was nowhere to be seen. 

“Seona?” She wasn’t in the living room, and she didn’t answer either when he called up the stairs. “Seona!”

It was when he headed into the kitchen to make himself a coffee that he got worried. There was no spoon and no teabag in the sink. She hadn’t made herself a cuppa after coming home. Anders frowned at the spotlessly clean sink for a moment before leaving the kitchen again without having made himself a coffee, a sense of foreboding creeping up on him. 

He found her in the bedroom curled up on the bed around a hot water bottle. She had drawn the curtains and didn’t acknowledge his presence.

“Babe?” Anders cautiously sat down on the bed. “Is it that bad?”  
Seona emitted an affirmative whine.  
“Jesus... you poor thing.” Anders ran his fingers through her hair and toyed with a curl. “Anything I can do?”  
She didn’t open her eyes. “Yes.”  
“Pills?”  
This time the answer was an affirmative hum. 

Anders got up with a sigh and went to get a glass of water and the painkillers. He had bought the good stuff after finding out that Seona could be knocked flat onto her back sometimes during shark week. Thankfully not every month, but this time it seemed especially bad. Thanking god that he was a guy he sat down on the bed again and held out the pill to her. After a moment Seona uncurled and managed to sit up to take it. She was pale and deep lines were carved into her forehead and around her mouth and eyes. 

Having swallowed the pill Seona curled up again clutching the hot water bottle.

With another sigh Anders got up again and headed for the en-suite. Having closed the door behind him he shook his head and when he was done, headed for the other bathroom expecting the worst. 

It wasn’t fair, he thought; not only did Seona suffer like this on a regular basis, but her cycle was also irregular and quite often took her unawares. This month seemed no different, but at least she had been able to rinse her panties before hanging them onto the edge of the bathtub.

After rolling his shoulders, Anders picked up the wet, soiled panties and dropped them into the washing machine, then filled it with more laundry for a hot wash. He started it and washed his hands and looked at himself in the mirror with a crooked little smile. 

That he, of all men, would be able to deal with this sort of business like that... Well, if Russell had been a girl he would have been forced to deal with these issues years ago and would be used to it by now. Thankfully Russell had been a guy, though. And to be perfectly honest, in the beginning he had been less than comfortable buying menstrual equipment when he had been shopping and had frequently forgotten about it so Seona had bought it herself. By now he had turned into a Good Husband however, and not only remembered to buy tampons but also her favourite brand and size. Considering where he had started, he was quite proud of himself. 

After having dealt with the laundry he headed downstairs and into the kitchen again and got the kettle started, but changed his mind after a moment and switched it off again. He took a small pitcher and filled it with milk before putting it into the microwave, and in the time it took for the milk to heat he found the cocoa powder and got the whipped cream out of the fridge. He personally preferred it freshly whipped, but Seona insisted on always having a can at hand.

Equipped with the largest mug in the house filled with hot chocolate buried under a mountain of whipped cream he headed upstairs again and cautiously placed the cup onto the nightstand. 

“Babe?”  
“Hm.”  
“Chocolate?”

Seona sat up, very slowly and without letting go of the hot water bottle, and looked at Anders with a tired but honest smile. “I love you.”  
Anders returned the smile and tucked a few stray curls behind her ear. “Love you too, babe. Is there anything else I can do?”  
She picked up the cup and shook her head. “You’re the best already.”  
“Doing what I can.” Anders moved closer and smiled. “After the Awesome Dad Award I am ready for the Best Husband Award as well.”

Seona actually managed a chuckle at that and took a sip of hot chocolate. Anders found it impossible to resist the urge to kiss the whipped cream off her upper lip.

After leaning back against the headboard Seona adjusted her hot water bottle and picked up the chocolate again.

“I put my panties into the...”  
“I already found them. Taken care of.”  
She sighed heavily. “You’re really the best. I’m so sorry for the mess.”  
“It’s not as if you’re doing it on purpose.”  
“It’s still disgusting,” Seona muttered.

“It’s probably not more disgusting as that filthy monster of a pimple I had on my shoulder the other day.”  
“It was just a pimple.”  
“It was pretty disgusting. I can’t deal with other people’s pimples.”  
“Good thing then that I can. That thing was vile.”  
“And hurt like a motherfucker.”

They looked at each other and both had to chuckle. Later that evening when Anders came to bed, after supplying Seona with another hot water bottle, he spooned her after giving her a bit of a back rub and reached around her for a belly rub as well.

“Jesus, is that your...”  
“My uterus, yes.”  
“It feels as if you swallowed a fucking rugby ball.”  
“More like someone shoved it up my vagina.”

Shaking his head Anders thanked all deities he could think of that he was born with a dick instead. 

Anders nursed her through the weekend and by Monday morning the worst had abated so she was able to go to work more or less unhampered. And thankfully, that had spared the next weekend.

* * *

When the next weekend came Anders was prepared, and when Seona finally had peeled herself out of the bed that particular Saturday, she was greeted by a lovingly laid breakfast table, tablecloth and everything, and a huge bouquet of red roses. 

She graced Anders with a beautiful smile when he got up. He had taken the opportunity to wear the kilt again and her eyes widened when she saw that.

“Happy anniversary, Seona,” he whispered after embracing her.  
She slung her arms around him. “Happy anniversary, Anders.”  
Anders leaned back and ran a gentle finger down her cheek. “I can’t believe it’s already a year.”  
“Time flies when you’re having fun,” Seona replied in a low voice. “And not a single regret.”  
“You have no idea how happy that makes me.”  
“If it makes you as happy as it makes me then you’re a very happy man.”

Anders leaned back. “I am a very happy man, Seona.”  
“And to think that we owe this to a dick joke...”  
“And the fact that I was thirteen years late with showing my son London and Big Ben.”  
“The phallus clock.”  
“In Dick City.”

After a second of looking at each other, both burst out laughing and embraced firmly again. They didn’t let go of each other when leaning back their heads, and just closed their eyes for a long and passionate kiss. Seona’s hands took advantage of his choice of wardrobe. Anders sure didn’t mind that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anders and the kilt. It didn't let me rest. Thank eeftheotter for this. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Craig and Janice happened, in Chapter 34 of More than Words

The punch had been a bad idea. Filling the largest stock pot in the house with vodka and a weird mix of Foxton Fizz lemonade, lime and raspberry was bad enough, but adding several cans of fruit cocktail was a recipe for disaster. Literally.

Most people didn’t have more than one cup, and most of these were still standing half empty on furniture and in the kitchen. Craig was running around collecting these before they could turn into a hazard and poured all of them into the cleaning bucket next to the bathroom door while simultaneously eyeballing the two idiots who had mixed that concoction. 

Matt was giving him a hand and apologized a few times, promising Craig to get rid of them again. 

It didn’t take long before things escalated. 

The music was loud and people were laughing, sitting around and drinking beer (punch was not so popular, thankfully) and dancing, but Craig was unable to wind down because he worried about the carpet and the furniture. Matt was already in the kitchen trying to talk to his colleagues, one of whom was already too plastered to listen to him. 

Craig was just on his way to the kitchen after the last round of collecting punch leftovers when it happened. Mr Too-Much-Punch emptied his cup, coughed and turned around to barf all over the kitchen floor.

“MOTHERFUCKER!” Craig screamed at the top of his lungs and had to turn away so he wouldn’t add to the mess. Someone grabbed his elbow and dragged him outside.

Matt, who usually had an absolutely scuffproof good mood and easygoing attitude now lost his shit completely as well. None of those present had ever heard him yell, and suddenly they were all keenly aware of the fact that Matt was not just the nice chubby guy with glasses but also six feet one and almost as broad as a doorframe. His two colleagues shrunk back a little and the shit-eating grins were wiped cleanly off their faces.

When the two idiots now were supplied with bin bags and paper towels Matt took the punch to the bathroom to dispose of, together with the contents of the bucket with the leftovers. And when Craig came back inside the two were gone, the punch was gone and Danny was just taking off the marigolds. He had decided to properly clean the floor as unsurprisingly, he was the one least fazed by any kind of human excretions. 

Craig dragged both hands down his face and said he owed Danny one and Danny replied that was a load of crap and they should join the party again. 

Matt took off his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Then he dropped the hand, put his glasses back on and rolled his shoulders.

“Where were we?” He asked, mildly exasperated.  
“At your birthday party,” Danny replied with a grin.

Matt grinned back and opened the fridge from which he took three beers. He handed one to Danny and one to Craig and opened the third one himself. 

After bringing their bottles together the three of them left the kitchen, but Craig was still not quite over the incident. He kept casting the kitchen floor broody looks. 

“Hey, come on,” someone yelled. “Cheer up! At least he didn’t puke on the carpet.”  
“Fuck, yes,” Craig replied and lifted his beer. Then he looked over his shoulder and found Janice smiling at him. 

Craig smiled back, although his smile looked a little uncertain. After a moment Janice looked away again while taking a sip of beer and Craig turned around and knocked back his bottle, draining almost half of it in one go. 

“You,” Matt said and stepped closer to him.  
“What.”  
“Come on,” Matt nudged Craig’s shoulder with his bottle. “You know what I mean.”  
“Go fuck yourself.”

Matt grinned and took a sip of beer. “Come on, do yourself a favour and do it.”  
“Do what?” Craig frowned at his friend.  
“Go hit on her. She’s awesome.”

Craig had just knocked his bottle back again to empty it but now almost choked on the last sip. He wiped a few stray drops from his chin. “Are you fucking crazy? That girl plays rugby and rides a Harley, she eats punks like me for breakfast!”

He noticed Matt’s facial expression too late, and took a deep breath when he saw his strained grin. With hunched shoulders, he very slowly turned around.  
Janice wasn’t smiling anymore as she held a bottle of beer out to him. 

“Uh... thanks,” Craig said in a small voice.  
“Welcome,” Janice said curtly.  
“Uhm...”  
“Really.” Janice sighed and her lips were a thin line. “I thought you were different from other guys.”  
“I... what?”

Janice huffed and turned around, then headed for the backdoor.

Matt plucked the beer out of Craig’s fingers. “After her,” he said.  
“But I...”  
“After her. Now or never. If you don’t go after her now you’ll never get another chance.”  
“But I don’t...”  
“Go!”

Craig swallowed hard, ran both hands down his front to straighten his shirt and headed for the backdoor in almost a run. 

Janice was already on the phone as she walked down the driveway towards the road.

“Janice!”

She stopped and lowered the phone, but didn’t turn around at once. When she did so, she looked at Craig with an angry frown.

“Janice... I... uh... I’m sorry, I didn’t...”  
“You didn’t.” Janice came back but she walked past him and leaned against the wall of the bike shed. “Of course you didn’t.”  
“I... what?”  
Janice crossed her arms. “You can stop playing innocent.”

Craig ran both hands through his hair and fell against the wall next to her. “Jesus.... I don’t know what I did... well... actually I do know what I did wrong, but... I didn’t know it was wrong. I mean... what did you mean, different from other guys?”  
“I said stop playing innocent. Or maybe you are. Most guys don’t even realise it.” She pursed her lips for a moment and looked at him again. “You guys just can’t handle a strong woman.”

Craig blinked at her a few times with what had to be the most stupid expression of the century. “...what?”  
“I eat punks like you for breakfast?” Her voice was icy. “I thought you weren’t like that.”  
“Like what?” Craig asked helplessly.  
“Like any other guy who wants his woman to be small and slim and dainty so he can feel manly and protective.”

“Crap,” Craig whispered under his breath.  
“Really?”  
“No, I mean... shit...” He dragged both hands down his face. Then he dropped them again and nervously licked his lips. “That wasn’t what I... I didn’t mean it like that! Honestly!”

Janice lifted one leg and rested her sole against the wall at her back while crossing her arms.

“I...” Craig was groping for words. “What I meant was... I didn’t really mean you’re.... I don’t... Fuck!!”

Janice lifted both eyebrows in a Make-My-Day expression.

“I didn’t mean that I don’t want a strong woman!” He finally blurted out. “I thought a woman like you wouldn’t want a guy like me!”  
Now Janice frowned at him and uncrossed her arms. “You serious?”  
Craig shrugged with his eyes closed. “I thought a woman like you would be into tall and muscled.”  
“So you thought...” She tilted her head with a confused little frown.  
“Ah... yeah.” He ran one hand through his hair. “That I’m too much of a runt for you.”

Janice dropped her head and shook it with a snort. Then she looked up, put her foot down and pushed herself away from the wall. 

“You’re an idiot.”

Craig shrugged again and gave her a crooked, embarrassed and helpless little grin. 

Janice stepped in front of him and sighed while shaking her head with a small smile of her own. 

“Craig, you’re a mechanic and can take an engine apart and put it together again in two hours, you ride a Harley and play bass... and you’re a runt? Seriously?”  
“Ah... you know...” Craig smiled nervously. “I’m not a runt, but... I thought I wasn’t.... ah...”  
“Not man enough for me.”  
“Jesus...” Craig ran both hands through his hair. “Now that you say it out loud... It’s a load of crap, I know! I’m sorry, I should have... I know that makes you sound shallow and... I shouldn’t have said it.”  
“No.”  
“I’m sorry,” Craig said and stared at his feet. “I’m really... so you’re right, and I am an idiot.”

“A first class idiot,” Janice replied, but in a gentler voice now. “You just pushed all the wrong buttons, you know? I do have pretty big issues about guys wanting more feminine women than I am.”  
“I’m sorry,” Craig said “And I really didn’t mean it that way.”  
“You said so.”  
“I meant that, though.”  
“I know that.”

They looked at each other in a moment of silence.

“See, I have my issues too,” Craig said hesitantly after a moment.  
Janice tilted her head with a questioning frown.  
“See... most girls I dated didn’t want me, but wanted to prettiest guy of the lot! I was always the trophy boyfriend and...”

He broke off when Janice rested both her palms against the wall on either side of his head.

“So you think I want you as a trophy before I eat you for breakfast?”  
“Fuck, Janice, I... No, I...” He faltered when he saw the little smirk on her face.

They stared at each other.

“I’d let you eat me for breakfast any time,” Craig said with a nervous chuckle.

Janice laughed softly and shook her head. Craig smiled hesitantly back. 

Then she took a step forward and kissed him. After a second of surprise, Craig slung his arms around her neck.

* * *

Back inside, where the party was now in full swing with headbanging and an air guitar contest, Matt and Danny exchanged a few looks every now and then after looking at the backdoor. And the more time passed, the more they had to grin. 

Eventually the backdoor opened again and Craig and Janice came back inside, hand in hand and smiling. 

Danny and Matt did a bro-fist and Danny headed towards the fridge. He came back with four beers.

“About time,” he said to Craig as he handed him a bottle.

Craig grinned and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck.

“Bottoms up!” Matt said cheerfully and lifted his beer.

All four of them knocked their bottles back and Craig and Janice exchanged a grin before he slung an arm around her hip and she draped one of hers around his shoulders.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is for my dear friends drakkhammerwrites and ceallaig1 who asked for a chapter of Slices of Life, about Danny coming to terms with his sexuality and his decision to dare take the step for his first reciprocal blowjob. 
> 
> I hope this was what you had in mind, and I hope you like it! Lots of love!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this story isn’t chronologically build please bear in mind that the contents of this chapter immediately precede chapter 5, the first time Danny gives Russell head in return.

Since his parents weren’t home that evening Danny had taken the luxury of an extra long shower. Not that he expected to be disturbed if he took longer than usual, but he didn’t like jerking off in the shower when he wasn’t alone. 

He had tried to suppress it at first and then given in after all to the images his mind kept on conjuring, which was having Russell on his knees before him. And even if it hadn’t been more than half an hour ago, that image made his cock twitch. Danny adjusted his crotch and stared at the ceiling. Yes, he had had oral before, but for some reason, with Russell it felt different. And he couldn’t even put his finger on it. 

Maybe it was because Russell was a guy. Maybe with him having a dick as well he knew better what a guy would like. Maybe it was because he was so enthusiastic about it.   
Maybe it was because he was so much into Russell. He hadn’t been in love like this before. 

And maybe it was all of this together.

* * *

_There was a new guy in class that day, and Mrs Jones explained that his parents had moved to Auckland last week. His name was Arthur Miller, and he got the place next to Danny. Danny grinned at him as he shovelled his stuff back to his side of the table, and Arthur smiled shyly back._

_Danny was the only one to smile at him at that day; the other guys were busy figuring out if befriending him would benefit them or not. Danny hated those shallow assholes, had always done so, and Arthur was really a nice guy. The two quickly became friends._

* * *

Arthur had been gorgeous, tall and slim and with large green eyes and chestnut hair. Danny hadn’t failed to notice how the girls in their class had looked at him, even though girls at fourteen and fifteen usually look at guys who are a bit older. But Arthur really had been – and probably still was – quite a looker. Danny had been a bit jealous but Arthur had never been a dick about his looks and had been easy to hang out with. They had also been listening to the same music, so it couldn’t have been better.

* * *

_It was three months into the term that Danny woke up from a dream that left his dick hard and aching. But the moment he remembered what it actually was he had been dreaming about his boner instantly vanished. No, it hadn’t been Julie, whom he had been crushing on for ages._

_Danny turned onto his stomach and buried his face into the pillow._

_Arthur was his friend, for fuck’s sake. They had become best mates during the months Arthur had been in Auckland. You don’t have wet dreams about your best friend._

_And he wasn’t gay. He wasn’t gay. He had been crushing on Julie for fuck knows how long, and on Sharon before that, and he had been with Sharon for a few weeks too and they had kissed and.... He wasn’t gay. Arthur was his best friend, and they listened to the same music and had a blast every time they were hanging out together. He wasn’t gay, he couldn’t be crushing on his best friend!_

_Danny managed to not let anything on, but after that night he couldn’t see Arthur like before anymore. His fingers were itching to toy with that hair. He wondered what kissing a guy would feel like and instantly stomped on that thought to kill it._

_It didn’t help._

* * *

And then Arthur’s dad had gotten another job again and they had moved to Christchurch. They had chatted on Skype, they had written mails and texted. Danny had had a hard time keeping a cheerful face when Arthur had told him about his new girlfriend. 

Eventually the contact had petered out and still, Danny had had a hard time getting over him. 

And then he had met Annie, sweet, pretty Annie with her dark curls and sparkling eyes, and she had very quickly made him forget Arthur and both his confusion and his heartbreak. A heartbreak that he hadn’t really wanted to admit existed, anyway. And when he had discovered that the feeling had been mutual he almost hadn’t been able to believe his luck. 

Danny sighed and folded his arms under his head while staring at the ceiling but looking at old memories. 

He had been seventeen and she sixteen when they had lost their virginity to each other, and back then, it had felt like the happily ever after. He grinned crookedly at his memories and shook his head. But Annie had helped him forget his issues and the fact that there had been a few guys he had found far more attractive than he had been comfortable with. 

And then, shortly after he and Annie had broken up, he had met Liam. The first time they had run into each other had been in music school, and when Liam had heard that Danny was learning to play drums he had been excited and curious at the same time. Liam himself had been playing piano, and the two had spent some time chatting every time they had met. They had become mates and had been hanging out together, and it had only been a few weeks after they had met that Liam had told him he was gay. 

And there it had been again. The same thing that had happened with Arthur. He had ended up crushing on his friend again.

* * *

_Danny had valiantly tried to keep his crush a secret, but for some reason Liam had picked up on it. Maybe because he was gay and the thought of a guy crushing on another guy wasn’t alien or disgusting to him._

_They were at a friend’s birthday party when it happened. The house had a large rooftop terrace and while everyone else was downstairs drinking and dancing, Liam and Danny had ended up sitting with their backs to the tiled wall that served as banister. They were drinking their beer in silence and tried not to listen to the music downstairs which had been the reason they were up here. The music was utter crap._

_Nothing happened for a long time, they were just sitting there sipping their beer when Liam suddenly moved a little closer._

_Danny’s heart began to race. Their shoulders touched, and since Danny didn’t move away, Liam became a little bolder and leaned forward to look at him. Danny swallowed hard and stared straight ahead._

_“Hey,” Liam whispered._  
 _Danny forced himself to look at him._  
 _“You’re gorgeous,” Liam said with a smile._  
 _“Uh…” Danny nervously licked his lips. “Thanks…”_  
 _Liam’s smile changed its quality._   
_“I just…” Danny took a deep breath and immediately regretted saying anything when he saw the smile vanish from Liam’s face. “I mean… I mean I don’t get it… I’m not gay, I mean… I had a girlfriend already…”_

_Liam bit his lips. “So you’re into girls?”_   
_Danny swallowed hard again. “I… I am,” he whispered. “But… but…”_   
_Tilting his head, Liam looked at him with parted lips. “But…?”_   
_“But you’re… uh…”_   
_“Hm?”_   
_“You’re gorgeous, too,” Danny blurted out in a shaky whisper._

_Now Liam chuckled under his breath. “So you’re bi, then?”_  
 _“Uh…”_

_Danny felt his heart race and his head spin. Of course he knew about bisexuality, technically, but the thought that this could apply to him had never crossed his mind. It made a lot of sense, though. It explained the hitherto inexplicable attraction he had felt for the drummer of Deathwish, and it explained Arthur. It explained this here too. Not that it made him feel any better right now._

_“You ever wondered what it feels like kissing a guy?” Liam asked with lowered eyelids._

_Licking his lips, Danny could hardly meet his eyes, but even though a part of him wanted to run away screaming and hide under the nearest bit of furniture, another part of him kept staring at Liam’s lips that came closer and closer. Gentle fingers caressed his cheek and Danny closed his eyes._

_The kiss was shy, and at first was no different from what he had experienced already. But then it all sunk in; Liam smelled of after shave and not of perfume, and there was the faintest scratch of stubble on his upper lip. Danny was torn between breaking the kiss and making a run for it and never wanting it to end._

* * *

Danny had closed his eyes, lost in the memory of his first kiss. First same-sex kiss, that is. It had left a far more lasting impression than his very first kiss.

It hadn’t lasted more than a few weeks. Danny hadn’t been able to bring himself to be with Liam in public; he had been unable to kiss or touch or even hold hands. Liam had cut him some slack at first, but in the end he had been angry and disappointed and had told Danny in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t going to be his dirty little secret. 

The few times they had run into each other after that in music school they hadn’t looked at each other anymore. 

It had been the same with Mason. They had met at a party, and again, after having been in love with another girl whose name he honest to goodness had forgotten, Danny had found himself drawn to a guy despite himself. But still it had been him and not Danny who had made the first move.

There had been a lot of kissing and a bit of groping in Mason’s room when Danny had been over, but the first time he had been at Danny’s place Danny had been unable to show the same affection. Mason had left, feeling hurt and betrayed, and Danny hadn’t been able to fix it. 

Two months later he had met Sarah and they had been together for almost a year before…

Danny took a deep breath and exhaled it long and slow. 

Before he had met someone at the Auckland Festival who would turn his whole life around. 

Danny would never forget the look in Russell’s eyes when he had casually mentioned he played drums. Those beautiful blue eyes, those rich, wavy golden curls, the graceful body, that beautiful, dimpled smile…   
And that voice, when he had heard him sing for the first time, had almost broken his heart. 

Danny had fallen arse over teakettle and had had no idea what had been happening to him. 

He grinned crookedly at the ceiling. He still had the feeling he hadn’t quite caught up. 

Believing at first that with Russell still only just seventeen and him being almost nineteen it wasn’t a good idea to even think about hooking up, Danny had tried to ignore his feelings. Convinced that someone as gorgeous as Russell would have no interest in someone as plain as him anyway he had never been able to imagine that he and Russ would ever happen. 

But the one thing that had happened was that Danny had sat down and thought long and hard about himself. True, he had been forced to admit that Liam mentioning bisexuality had hit a sore spot, but it had also helped him realise that this was what he was. 

His first, hesitant attempt at coming out to his parents after he had hooked up with Liam had ended as expected. His father had said nothing and had just shaken his head, and his mother had tried to convince him he was confused and still too young to know his mind. She had also suggested he come to church again to help him sort his feelings. Danny hadn’t mentioned his sexuality again in their presence. 

He had been seventeen back then, not exactly just fallen into puberty, but he had said nothing. They would never understand. To be honest, he hadn’t really understood it either. He hadn’t wanted to be like this, it made everything that much harder. And he hadn’t really been comfortable with it either.

Eventually he had had convinced himself he would be fine if he got to hook up with girls, and just ignored the small voice at the back of his head screaming at him that this wasn’t him, and that he was trying to cut off and kill a part of himself. 

It hadn’t helped that some of his friends weren’t cool about his sexuality either. One had called him greedy, another had told him to make up his mind. Both of them had avoided him from then on, as if they had been afraid Danny would go down on their asses like a fiend if they ever turned their back to him again.

At a New Year Eve’s party, another friend of him had told him she would never date a bi guy because she didn’t want to be dumped for another guy. He hadn’t gotten a reply when he had asked her why it was worse to be dumped for a guy than for another chick since dumped was dumped. 

He hadn’t been really familiar with the small and delicate girl with pink hair who had been a part of the group he had come with, and he only knew her name. But when she had nudged him in the ribs with a bright smile as he had been gloomily nursing his beer after having retreated into a corner, he had found himself able to smile back. She had told him there was nothing wrong with him and that he shouldn’t give a fuck about those cock waffles. 

He and Emma had proceeded to get drunk and had spent the whole night chatting. Danny had never met anyone who he had instantly felt so at ease with. 

It had been her who had introduced two groups of people to each other at the festival a few weeks later. And one of those people had been her best friend since kindergarten. 

Danny sighed and closed his eyes. 

It hadn’t taken him long to realise Russell was more than a crush, yet he had believed it was totally moot point to do anything about it. But for the first time since Arthur, he had just looked at himself in the mirror one morning and had just seen what he was: A guy who so happened to be attracted to and could fall in love with both guys and girls. 

So maybe his parents would never understand, so maybe some folks would be put off, some of his friends would call him stupid or greedy or confused or gross… he didn’t care anymore. So he swung both ways. So fucking what.

During the years prior he had wished he could just forget about the fact he was bi, just be able to only fall in love with girls and never again see any guy in his life that way.

But having met Russell had changed that. 

The fact that he had wanted him so much, even back when he had thought Russell was too young, had seemingly turned a switch in his mind. He had wanted him so much that he had been ready to take on anything.   
Suddenly he had felt that if he could have Russell he would have yelled from every rooftop that he was bi and sweet fuck all to anyone who couldn’t deal with it. 

Only, it hadn’t been of any use having suddenly come to terms with the fact he was bi. Or so he had thought. 

Come to think of it, if he _had_ yelled it from the rooftops Russell wouldn’t have assumed he was straight and... Danny sighed and shook his head.

And it was only because he had spent so much time thinking about it all, especially during the time Russell had been in Norway, that he hadn’t been totally stumped and had actually been able to function upon Russell’s revelation that night in the garden. 

He had been more than a little embarrassed about the fact that he had still been a cock virgin, but Russell with his calm and gentle understanding had quickly made him forget his embarrassment about his inexperience. And even if Russell had said several times that he didn’t have a world of experience either, the way he gave head left Danny not only breathless and speechless but brainless as well. It was beyond words to describe that feeling. 

And now he faced a dilemma that he had thought he’d never encounter: He wanted to reciprocate and had no idea how. Before their first night Danny hadn’t even touched a cock apart from his own, and now he wanted to learn how to give head without having to use Russell as a guinea pig. 

Of course, after having gotten so many blowjobs by now he knew, theoretically and to an extent, what it was about and what he was supposed to do, but having a dick in his mouth was something different from having it in his hand. So maybe he hadn’t touched another dick before, but a dick was a dick and using the same technique on Russell that he used to jack off himself had produced the desired result. 

His train of thoughts had given Danny a hard-on again and he squirmed a little and adjusted the fabric of his boxers. 

So you could use jerking off as training to give someone a hand job, but he sure as fuck couldn’t blow himself to practise giving head.

Danny began to contemplate buying a dildo, but the thought of shoving a piece of rubber down his throat was rather off-putting. And besides, there was no feedback with that one, so he had no idea if what he did was a good idea or not. 

He was sure that Russell wouldn’t mind if he botched it at the first few attempts. He had been so understanding and patient and accepting of his insufficiencies and inexperience that he would forgive him all awkward beginner’s mistakes, but the thought of accidentally going to deep and puking into Russell’s crotch was too horrifying to contemplate. Maybe he should buy that dildo after all and make sure first how far deep down he could take it. 

But then, the thought of having a dildo in his room at the risk of his parents finding it, even if neither of his parents ever came here without asking permission first, was equally horrifying. 

He thought of the fruit bowl in the kitchen and briefly wondered if he was desperate enough to try and deep-throat a banana, and if so, if he would ever be able to look at bananas the same way again. 

And then, out of the blue, Russell’s face appeared before his inner eyes. His facial expression upon hearing that Danny had practiced giving head on bananas because he didn’t want to use Russ as his guinea pig was part worried, part hurt, and at that moment Danny realised that whatever happened, Russell would never give him shit for anything. 

And the thought of Russell’s beautiful cock between his lips suddenly made his mouth water. And his own dick throb in anticipation. 

It was time to step it up a notch. And he was sure, all of a sudden, that Russell wouldn’t mind being his guinea pig at all. 

As long as he wouldn’t puke into his crotch.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is another prompt from my dear friends ceallaig1 and drakkhammer. They asked for a story about little seven year old Russell who asks Santa to find a nice woman for his dad. I hope this is what you had in mind and that you like it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my daughter Agnes who put a lot of work into helping me. She did a great job in bringing this story even more to life.

Since Anders knew he couldn’t possibly top last year’s Christmas, especially since it had been Russell’s first Christmas with him and the rest of the Johnson clan, he just worked on keeping the standard. 

He made sure the toys and books he bought as presents from himself were up to speed regarding what Russell was into, not that it had changed much since last year. And then there remained the issue of Santa. 

Anders asked Russell if he wanted to write Santa a letter too. Russell eagerly agreed and the two sat down and wrote Santa a letter containing a list of what Russell wanted for Christmas. Anders didn’t fail to notice that the list wasn’t even half as long as the lists of some of Russell’s classmates, from what he had heard of their exasperated parents. 

Ty’s birthday on the 9th of December, two days after Anders had sent the letter to Santa, was celebrated with a fervour that year that was unusual for the Johnsons. Birthday parties in general hadn’t been a big business in the Johnson clan, not before last year and the birthday party of a little boy. And now here they were, having decorated Ty’s and Dawn’s house with streamers and yelling Happy Birthday and hooting with party blowouts. 

Dawn, heavily pregnant and parked on a sofa with her feet on a footstool, was watching the Johnson brothers with a soft smile while caressing her belly. 

Since Russell was the only kid at that party Olaf and Axl took up the hard and heavy duty of playing with him. Russell’s giggles and squeals of joy bespoke of their success.

At one point though Russell needed a break and guzzled some lemonade, then went over to Dawn to sit next to her on the sofa. He eyed her belly with childish curiosity. 

“Is the baby sleeping now, auntie?”  
“Oh no,” Dawn replied with a shake of her head. “Do you want to say hello?”  
Russell beamed at her and bent over the bump. “Hey, little baby! I’m your cousin Russell. We can play when you’re bigger!”  
The bump heaved.  
“High five!” Russell placed a hand on Dawn’s belly. Moments later he squeaked in joy when he was rewarded with a kick against his palm.  
“I can see you will get along famously,” Dawn said with a very fond smile and caressed Russell’s hair. 

Russell got up again and headed for the coffee table where Mike and Anders were sitting. There was a large plate of treats and Russell smiled brightly at the two men before grabbing a handful of Jet Planes. 

Mike and Anders watched him with smiles of their own as he stuffed his cheeks with Jet Planes until he looked like a hamster.

“Russ, you should be able to chew with your mouth closed,” Anders said and lifted one eyebrow.  
“Mmphrrm.”

Anders lifted the other eyebrow too and Russell managed to grin at him without losing anything out of his mouth.

When Russell came back to the sofa Ty had taken the place next to Dawn, and the two smiled at each other while Ty caressed the baby bump with a smile. 

Russell managed to somehow eat the jet Planes without making a mess and watched the two for a while. Then a frown formed on his face and he tilted his head. Dawn looked up at him with a questioning little smile.

“Auntie?”  
“Yes?”  
“Do all married people have babies?”  
“No.” Dawn smiled with an air of relief. “No, you don’t have to have babies when you’re married.”  
“Are you an Uncle Ty married?”  
“Yes.” Dawn and Ty exchanged a smile. “We are.”

“Are Auntie Michele and Uncle Mike also married?” Russell scratched his belly and then his head.  
“No.” This time it was Ty who answered. “You don’t have to marry.”  
“But if they’re not married they can’t have babies, right?”  
Dawn had to bite back a grin. “You don’t have to be married before you have babies.”

Now Russell seemed totally confused. 

Anders, who had gotten up to fetch himself and Mike another drink, now joined the conversation.

“See, it’s like this,” he said to Russ. “People like each other and fall in love. Then they can get married, or not. And they can have babies, or not. The decisive factor is the falling-in-love bit, not babies or getting married.”

Russell nodded slowly. You could still hear the cog wheels turning in his head, though. 

“So Auntie Dawn and Uncle Ty fell in love and married.”  
“Yes.” Anders kept his eyes on his son’s face.  
“And Auntie Michele and Uncle Mike too.”  
“Yes again.”  
“And Uncle Axl?”

All eyes came to rest on Axl who shrugged. “I haven’t met the right woman yet,” he said and took a sip of his beer.  
“Who is the right woman?” Russell asked with a frown.  
“I have no idea,” Axl said with a grin. “You know her when you see her.”

Clearly that answer didn’t satisfy Russell because he clearly couldn’t understand it. He looked at Olaf. Olaf grinned brightly back. Then Russell looked at his father.

“Dad?”  
“Yes?” Anders took a sip of beer.  
“Did you find the right woman yet?”  
Anders swallowed hastily and coughed, then wiped his chin. “No,” he said then.  
Russell frowned again. “But you had a baby with Mum. Me.”  
“That’s true,” Anders gave back hesitantly.  
“So you were in love?”  
“Yes.” Anders licked his lips. “But not for very long.”

Russell stared up at him. Anders looked back and tried to smile. 

“What’s it like?”  
“What’s what like?”  
“Being in love.”

Anders faltered and stared helplessly at his younger brother on the sofa.

“Being in love is very nice,” Dawn came to the rescue. “You see someone and like them very, very much. You are very happy to see them, you are very happy to be with them. You want to be with them all the time because they make you happy.”

Russell chewed his lower lip. Then he looked at his father again. “Were you and Mum happy?”  
“Yes,” Anders replied.  
“Do you want to be in love again?”  
Anders coughed and looked around at the grinning faces of his brothers. “I...”  
“But it’s nice, right?” Russell was still biting his lips. “And you can have more babies.”  
“Fu... God no!” Anders shook his head.  
“Why?”  
“’Cause I have you, Russ. I don’t need more babies.”

Russell stopped biting his lips and smiled brightly at his father before giving him a hug. Anders slung one arm around his son and smiled fondly down at him. 

“But you could be in love like Uncle Mike and Auntie Michele, right?” Russell asked after peeling his face out of Andres’s shirt again.  
“I could, yes. If I meet the right woman.”  
“Hm.”

After a moment, Russell stepped back with a deep, deep frown on his face. He kept eying Mike and Michele and Ty and Dawn for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

Two days later Russell asked his father during dinnertime if he could write a letter to Santa.

“You already wrote him a letter,” Anders said. “Changed your mind?”  
Russell nodded. “Can I, please?”  
“Well if you ask nicely and explain why you changed your mind it probably isn’t going to be a problem,” Anders replied and thanked god he hadn’t done the Santa shopping yet. 

Russell hurried upstairs and after quite some time, came down again with a folded sheet of paper.

“Don’t look!”  
“I won’t,” Anders promised.

Then he got an envelope and a stamp and wrote the address onto it. He had, clever man that he was, replaced Santa’s address in Greenland with that of JPR, and thus could make sure Santa put exactly the right things under the tree. He did the same again and the two quickly put on their shoes and left the house again for a walk to the nearest post box. 

Russell was grinning when they headed home and skipped merrily beside Anders while holding on to his hand. 

Three days later, a smiling Dawn put another letter addressed to Santa, c/o JPR, onto Anders’s desk. 

Anders smiled back and opened it. But when he began to read, his heart began to beat faster and the letters began to blur. 

Dawn looked up after a long moment of silence. Her questioning smile turned into a worried frown when she saw Anders’s expression and the tears in his eyes. 

“Anders?” She came to his side. Over his shoulder, her eyes fell onto the letter.

After a moment, she had to wipe her eyes as well. 

“Bless his golden little heart,” she whispered and Anders rubbed a hand across his eyes. 

They both looked at the letter on the desk with misty eyes.

* * *

Russell was visibly somewhat disappointed on Christmas morning when he found the presents under the tree, but there was a letter attached to the largest gift box. 

Anders sat down with Russell and opened it. It was from Santa.

_Dear Russell,_

_You are a very sweet boy to care for your dad so much. But sadly, finding nice ladies for dads is not my specialty. So here are your gifts, you really deserve them. But I promise I won’t stop looking and when I find a nice lady, I will send her your way._

_Love,_  
_Santa._

Russell smiled brightly at his father and Anders smiled back, barely able to keep a straight face and not burst into tears. His boy. His lovely perfect little boy. 

“Happy Christmas, Russ.”  
Russell snuggled into his embrace. “Happy Christmas, Dad. And you get a nice lady you can fall in love with. As a Christmas present.”  
“Really?”  
“Santa promised.”

“Yes, he did,” Anders said softly. “He did.”

* * *

* * *

_......12 years later......_

_“The fuck are you doing here?”_  
_“I’m your Christmas present, you fannybawz. What does it look like?”_


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another prompt, this time from my friend mayyourbeardnevergrowthin: _Because the day I entirely spent assembling furniture two weeks ago, at one point my son snatched my hammer and ran around the living room yelling "I'm Thor!!!!, and I thought about seven-year-old Russell :)_  
>  How could I not comply! I hope you like this!

Even though little Ruby had only been born less than two months ago, the Johnsons insisted that now, Dawn and Ty needed a swing and a slide in the garden. 

And so, on a fine February Saturday, Mike and Axl showed up with a large pickup full of wood and after putting on their tool belts, began carrying the materials and tools into the garden. Olaf had tagged along too as he never let a chance for Ty’s cupcakes pass him by.

And knowing that Russell would have an absolute blast with this, Ty gave Anders a call and invited the two over for some cupcakes. By the time those were in the oven Russ and Anders arrived, and Russell immediately bee-lined for the terrace door. 

Mike and Axl had just finished arranging the wood so they could start working when Ty called that the cupcakes and the coffee was ready. And since the two were here in their spare time they were in no hurry whatsoever and had a coffee break despite not even having started. 

Dawn was sitting on the sofa with little Ruby in her arms, and Russell now crawled next to her and as close as he could to watch the baby’s face. Dawn smiled down at him and held the baby closer so he could have a better look. Ruby squinted up at him and waved a fist with those completely random and uncoordinated movements of a six week old baby. 

But Russell grinned and – cautiously – fist-bumped that tiny hand. “Hey Ruby,” he said, very softly. “You allright?”  
Ruby pulled a face.  
“Is she hungry?”  
“She will be soon,” Dawn said and looked at her daughter’s face. “I guess.”  
Ruby farted and her face relaxed again.  
“Can I hold her?” Russell asked after he had stopped giggling.

Dawn’s smile widened and she took one of the sofa pillows. After arranging that on Russell’s lap she placed Ruby into Russell’s lap so she was supported by the pillow, and Russell smiled down at her so warm and soft it made every heart in the room melt. 

“You sure that you don’t want any more kids?” Mike asked. “He’d be the best big brother ever.”  
“That role is already taken,” Anders said with a bright grin.  
“Aaaaw...” Axl and Olaf simultaneously said while Ty snorted.  
“Isn’t it, Ty?” Anders said to his younger brother and everyone, Mike included, now snorted and laughed. 

“But seriously,” Mike said then, still grinning.  
“Seriously too,” Anders gave back. “Apart from needing a woman for that since I highly doubt I will be able to handle that on my own, I really don’t want, need or can handle any more kids.” He took a sip of his coffee. “So he’ll have to settle for best cousin ever.”

Everyone looked at Russell again who was cooing at the baby while she held on to one of his fingers, not taking her eyes off his face. 

Coffee break was declared over shortly after that, and since Ruby decided that it was lunchtime, Russell left her to her mother and headed outside to watch Mike and Axl build the swing. 

He had his nose everywhere and more than once one of the men almost fell over him. 

They had just gotten the last beam into place and Axl bent down to pick up his hammer, but his fingers encountered only grass.

“What the fuck happened to my hammer?”  
“Axl...” Mike sighed. “You still haven’t learned to take care of your tools?”  
“I put it right here!” Axl pointed at the grass next to his feet. “I swear!”

Mike crossed his arms, tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. Axl glowered back.

At that moment, Russell came running around the corner yelling at the top of his lungs.

“I AM THOR!!”

Thus, the mystery of the vanished hammer was solved.

“I AM THOR!” 

Hammer raised high, Russell ran across the lawn as fast as he could. Axl tried to grab him as he shot past him but underestimated the speed of a seven-year-old in full swing. 

Russell came to a halt and glowered at Axl through the strands of hair hanging into his face. “I am Thor the Mighty! Do not entice my wrath, mortals!”

“I guess that would be 'incite',” Anders said drily and leaned against the wall of the house with a smirk. 

“Russell, can I please have my hammer back?”  
Russell crossed his arms. “You’re not worthy, mortal!”  
“It’s _my_ bloody hammer!”  
“Mjolnir isn’t a bloody hammer you puny mortal!”  
“Russell!!”

Anders, Mike and Ty couldn’t stop laughing and Olaf was laughing so hard it looked as if he was about to have a stroke.

Axl glowered at his nephew, and Russell/Thor glowered back. 

“Russ, we need to finish this, can I please please pretty please with a cherry on top have my hammer back?”

With a haughty look, Russell strode forward and held the hammer out to Axl. “You are not worthy, mortal.”

Axl narrowed his eyes and took the hammer. The moment Russell let go his eyes flew open, and he dropped the hammer without letting go and landed almost on his face in a very believable impression of the hammer weighing at least a ton. 

Russell crossed his arms and smirked with lowered eyelids.

Axl looked at his hammer and at Russell, then back at the hammer. Then he looked up and his face distorted into a terrible grimace of fury. He straightened up and roared at the top of his lungs: “HULK SMASH!”

Russell screeched and ran, laughing and giggling so hard he almost instantly ran out of breath. He vanished around the house, the Hulk on his heels. 

“How old is Axl again?” Anders asked.  
“No idea.” Mike shook his head and uncrossed his arms. 

Not much later the Hulk came back with Thor dangling from his hands by his ankles.

Russell was now giggling so hard he had the hiccups. Axl grinned and gently put him down, and Russell immediately jumped to his feet again. 

“Again, Un- _hic_ -Uncle Axl! Ag- _hic_ -again!”  
“We need to finish this,” Axl replied with somewhat exasperated smile.  
“Can you _hic_ play the H- _hic_ -Hulk again?”  
“I dunno.” Axl’s grin widened. “If I get angry enough.”

Russell hiccupped and grinned. “You look like an ugly flat hamster!”

Axl’s eyes widened and he roared again. Russell ran away screaming and the two vanished around the house again. 

Mike pinched the bridge of his nose with closed eyes. “We’re gonna be here at midnight if they keep that up.”  
Anders pushed himself off the wall. “I find him some ice cream,” he said. “So you can get this finished before dawn.”

Anders managed to intercept Russell after Axl had dropped him again and Russell skipped merrily beside him, singing a song he made up on the fly about hammers and Hulk and big bad uncles. Anders picked a few blades of grass out of his curls and smiled down at him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for oursesolitaire who misses Anders and Seona and wanted to know if they still get along like a house on fire. I hope you like this!

Anders was greeted by Guns’n’Roses as he unlocked the door, and with a smile growing on his face, he closed it behind him. Seona could be heard rummaging around in the kitchen and the music was coming from there as well. At about volume eleven, Anders guessed. 

And Seona was singing along at the top of her lungs. 

“And if I'd stare too long I'd probably break down and cry!”

Anders cautiously approached the dining area, but Seona was completely oblivious. She was standing at the cooker, and it smelled of eggs and bacon. 

“Oh, oh, oh sweet child o' mine!”

Not that she hadn’t tried. She still did. By now she was able to do pasta and tomato sauce, but instinctive cooking, like Anders or Russell did, was completely beyond her and she had to use a recipe that she followed painstakingly step by step and gram by gram. So mostly, Anders did the cooking, but occasionally Seona was overcome by a bad conscience and felt she had to return the favour. 

Anders wasn’t particularly fond of eggs and bacon, but if his lovely wife stood there in the kitchen preparing the food with all her heart, Anders was going to fucking eat it. 

“He's got eyes of the bluest skies, as if they thought of rain, I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain!”

Had she changed the pronoun?

The smile that now crept onto Anders’ face could only be described as ridiculously lovesick and he didn’t give a fuck. He put down his bag and took another step forward. She was using the cooking spoon as a microphone.

“Hey babe.”

One thing about Seona was that she was terribly easy to scare. She almost jumped out of her skin screeching like a toddler, and the cooking spoon flew in a huge arc towards the dining area, narrowly missing the lamp, and landed on the table where it slid across the glass surface leaving a greasy skid mark behind. 

Anders followed the trajectory of the spoon with his eyes, and with a smirk he was unable to suppress, walked around the table to pick it up while Seona was pressing both hands to her heart, trying to catch back her breath.

“I gather you didn’t hear me coming.”

Seona glared at him, and tried to calm her breathing. 

“Should I call Danny? You look as if you need CPR any moment.”

She narrowed her eyes and held out her hand. Anders walked towards the kitchen counter and held out the spoon to her, keeping the counter between them. Seona’s eyes were still throwing out sparks.

“Thanks.” She grabbed the spoon and turned towards the cooker again.  
“Eggs and bacon?”  
“Sherlock.” She flipped one of the eggs that landed back in the pan with a greasy splat. 

With Anders’ high quality frying pan with a first class non-stick coating only a minimum amount of fat was needed to fry anything, even if Anders could admit that eggs and bacon wasn’t health food in the first place. But what Seona could do to an innocent egg could make any dietician weep into his pillow. 

By now _Knocking on Heaven’s Door_ had started playing, and when Seona focussed on her eggs again with a huff, Anders dared to enter the kitchen. He stepped behind her and rested both hands on her shoulders. 

“I’m sorry, babe,” he muttered into her ear, stepping so close their bodies touched. 

When all he got as an answer was another huff, he let his hands cautiously wander down her body until they came to rest on her hips. He rocked gently back and forth to the rhythm of the music, making her body move as well. He could feel Seona relax somewhat. She hummed along to the refrain. 

“Cook, cook, cooking on heaven’s door,” Anders sort of sang into her ear.   
Seona snorted. “You can’t sing.”  
“I know.”  
“So Russell didn’t inherit everything from you.”  
“Thank fuck.”

While Seona was looking into her pan they rocked gently in time with the music, and Anders couldn’t help but increase the pressure of his hips. 

“Maybe we should eat first?” Seona said, but by the way she returned the pressure with her backside she didn’t seem upset. “Lukewarm eggs and bacon are nasty.”  
“Or we let them go cold and make sandwiches,” Anders purred into her ear. “With lots of mayo.”  
“You know what a girl likes,” Seona purred back, digging her backside into Anders’ groin.  
“I know what my girl likes, and that’s all that matters.” Anders breathed a kiss onto the shell of her ear. 

Seona stared into her pan for a moment longer, then she switched the cooker off and shoved the pan from the hot plate. She pushed Anders back and reached for her phone to kill the music, then she smiled at him with heavy eyelids. 

But before Anders could say anything, she had pushed past him and was racing up the stairs. He rolled his eyes and set off in pursuit, only to find himself locked out of the bedroom. 

“Oh come on! How old are we again?”  
“Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!”  
“And now?”  
“You need the magic word,” Seona said with a giggle.

Anders dragged a hand down his face. “Seriously?”  
“Magic word!”  
“Please?”  
“Nope.”  
“Pretty please?”  
“Nope.”  
“Pretty please with a cherry on top?”  
“Still nope.”

Arms akimbo, Anders stared at the door for another moment. Then he stepped closer.

“I could wear the kilt,” he said in a low, honey-smooth voice.

He could hear the key being turned in the lock. 

“And the jersey,” he added. 

The door opened. 

Anders stepped inside, and as he closed the door behind him, he was hit in the face by a lump of fabric. With a small grin Anders headed for the bathroom, gave himself a rinse in the shower and put on both kilt and the black jersey. 

Seona’s empty-eyed stare when he left the bathroom again was all the confirmation he would ever need about his desirability. He might be slowly approaching fifty, but whenever Seona looked at him like that he could forget about his grey hairs and the fact he had a grown son who was about to get married. 

For most of his grown life he had looked for sexy in younger women, successively younger than him the older he got, until he had very suddenly stopped to look at women at all with the appearance of a little boy in his life. He had believed a woman past a certain age is no longer sexy, and then had stopped caring about sexy at all.

Seona was nothing like any woman he would ever have looked at in those years for which he still felt somewhat ashamed at times, but now there was not a single woman in this world he would rather look at than his beautiful Scottish witch. And that he still felt that way, more than a year after their wedding – and who would have thought of Anders fucking Johnson getting married anyway back then? – sometimes gave him a feeling of regret about not having met her sooner. 

But she was here now, here with him, and she slowly walked towards him with that smile on her lips that always made his knees go weak. 

There was no denying that he loved the kilt as much as she did. And he loved the feeling of her springy curls on the bare skin of his thighs. It really felt as if she worshipped him, but he was the first to admit that he worshipped the ground she walked on as well. 

They relocated into the bed then and once Anders had recovered, he set to returning the favour. And once in bed, they made good use of the situation until they ended up cuddled up to each other under the blanket. 

“We should start getting ready,” Anders muttered, but couldn’t be bothered yet to uncurl out of the embrace.  
“We should,” Seona muttered into his shoulder.

Neither of them moved.

“We really should,” Anders said after another moment.  
“Then get your gorgeous arse out of bed,” Seona said and stretched and arched her back. 

It was a great ordeal, and Anders managed to get onto all fours but he stopped on his way to the edge of the bed when Seona’s hand came to rest on his backside. A gentle finger traced down the crack between his ass cheeks and Anders arched his back like a cat. Since she had helped him discover this particular new erogenous zone Anders had a hard time to resist. 

He didn’t even try.

* * *

Russell looked at his phone and shook his head. Danny took a sip of his drink and watched him with an amused twitch of his lips. 

“I don’t get it,” Russell said. “It’s not like Dad to come too late!”  
“He probably got stuck in traffic,” Danny replied.   
“But why didn’t he text me?”  
“Russ, stop acting like a mother hen.” Danny patted the back of Russell’s hand. 

Russell took his glass with a pout, but just as he was about to take a sip he could hear someone enter the restaurant and being greeted by the head waiter. He looked over his shoulder, craning his neck, and huffed when he saw his father and Seona approach their table. 

“You’re late,” Russell said, sounding more confused than angry. “What happened?”  
Anders adjusted his position. “A Johnson is never late,” he said.

Both Seona and Danny snorted.

“Nor is he early.” Anders reached for the menu. “He arrives precisely when he means to.”  
“Dad...” Russell rolled his eyes so hard they vanished out of sight for a moment. 

Danny snorted again under his breath and shook his head.

Anders exchanged a smile with Seona and opened the menu. “House wine?”  
“I trust your judgement,” Seona replied with a smile of her own. 

After the waiter had brought them their drinks the four of them brought their glasses together. Then Anders smiled at his son as he put his glass back down.

“So, what was it you had to tell us?”  
Russell lifted one eyebrow. “Are you sure you’re up for a serious discussion?”  
“I’m up for anything today,” Anders replied with a bright grin. 

Russell sighed, but with a smile, and took another sip of his wine.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friend asked me some time ago if I couldn't write a scene from the first festival where Russ and Danny met. I wanted to, but didn’t get the right idea. As I was writing the main story Two Steps I finally got said right idea, wrote it as a flashback, but then put it here because it would have made the chapter too long.

Since Emma seemed to know everyone and their mother at their school, and didn’t seem to have lost touch with anyone from primary school either, she and Russell kept constantly running into friends of hers, or people she knew and was on good terms with. After his break-up with Josh he was definitely not opposed to meeting someone new, but with most of the guys they met Emma didn’t know if he was gay or straight if she hadn’t seen him with a girl before.

He wasn’t actively looking anyway; he was here to enjoy the festival. Last year he had been allowed to go on Saturday to see the main acts, but his father had picked him up again at midnight. This year he had been allowed to camp with the others, the others being Emma, Colin and Marvin.

Russell knew he was on a trial period, if he fucked this up and did stupid stuff, his father wouldn’t be as generous with other overnight parties anymore for a long time. He had needed weeks of talking and begging to get him to agree to this.

The main act had been great, and after the initial chaos of a dispersing crowd of people, Russ and Emma found themselves in a quieter part a little away from the stage.

Emma was observing people walking past, to see if there was anyone she knew. While she was at it, she occasionally pointed out guys to Russell.

“What about him?”  
Russell looked at the blond, tall guy in question sauntering past. “Too bulky,” he said. “I’m not into Hulks.”  
Emma snorted, then looked at him. “Yeah, not exactly inconspicuous, is he?”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Russell narrowed his eyes.  
“You still haven’t told him, have you?”

Russell brushed a few hairs back. “I’ll... I’m waiting for-”  
“The right moment?” Emma rolled her eyes. “Oh come on. If you do that he still won’t know you’re gay when you move out.”  
“Hey!” Russell glared at her. “It’s not you who has to come out!”  
“No, but I know your dad. And so do you. I don’t understand why you’d think he would be anything but supportive.”  
Russell crossed his arms and glowered at his feet. “It’s... you just don’t understand.”

After a moment, Emma sighed and embraced him. “No, I don’t,” she said. “I’m sorry, baby.”  
“I don’t know why this is so hard.” Russell returned the embrace. “I know he won’t... but I still... maybe I hope he’ll find out on his own.”  
“So you won’t have to tell him.”

Russell let go with a sigh. He really had no idea why this was so hard. He had even had boyfriends over, but they had been very careful because Russell wasn’t out yet. For some reason, Russell hoped his father knew already, but he knew he would have to tell him. He didn’t understand himself.

“Hey Emma!” A girl Russell hadn’t seen before came jogging over with a friendly wave. “I lost my boyfriend, did you see him?”  
“Ethan?” Emma shook her head. “Sorry, not since this morning.”

Then Emma looked at Russell and grinned. “Russ, this is Jess.”  
“Hey, you all right?” Jess smiled at him.  
“Fine,” Russell replied with a smile of his own.

Jess produced her phone and shook her head. “I sent him a text,” she said. “But he doesn’t reply. Probably lost his phone again, the klutz.”

Her phone sneezed, and Jess checked the text that had come in. She replied and slipped her phone back into her pocket. Moments later two other girls came into view, both equipped with alcopops.

“Where did you get those?” Jess asked the newcomers.  
“Sophie’s handbag,” one of them replied and offered Jess a bottle.  
“But it was Sarah’s idea,” the one with the handbag said and took out two more bottles.

Both Emma and Russ declined politely, and Jess sighed as she took a sip.

“Anyone seen Ethan?”  
“Nope,” Sophie said. “Sarah lost her boyfriend too.”  
“Hey,” Jess said to Sarah. “Can you send Danny a text? Maybe the two are lost together.”

Sarah grinned and took her phone, and quickly typed a message while taking a sip of her drink. She got a reply moments later.

“Ah. Danny ran into Ethan after the gig and the two have been to the loo. They’re on their way up here.”  
“I thought it was only girls who go to the loo in groups,” Emma said with a chuckle.  
Sophie lowered her bottle and frowned. “Apparently some assholes are doing the thing with the portaloos again. So it’s safer for everyone to not go alone.”  
“The thing with the portaloos?” Russell asked.  
“Yeah, there are some fuckers who think it’s funny to knock a portaloo over when someone’s inside.” Sophie rolled her eyes.  
Russell shook his head, a queasy feeling in his stomach. “Shit,” he said. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

Moments later someone called Sophie, and a group of five guys approached them.

“Right,” Jess said with a grin. “The two lost boyfriends and their loo escort. Hey Ethan! I missed you!”

One of them waved with a grin. “Hey baby!”

Russell tried not to check them out too obviously. All five of them were easy on the eyes, but he knew beyond doubt that two of them had a girlfriend. One had nice hazel curls that just begged to be toyed with, and another a very easygoing smile. Russell let his eyes wander over the others, and then...

He was more on the skinny side and not very tall, and a long dark mane flowed down his shoulders and down his back. He had a dark goatee that was thicker at his chin, and he was wearing a heavy leather coat that was swinging around his ankles.

How big were the chances he was one out of the three without girlfriend? Ethan was identified, and one of them was Sarah’s boyfriend Danny, but the other three? And even if he was single, how big was the chance he was into guys?

Russell had to force himself to keep his mouth shut.

 _Don’t let Danny be the guy in the coat_ , he thought. _Don’t let Danny be the guy in the coat, please don’t let Danny be the guy in the coat..._

He tried not to deflate with disappointment when the guy in the black leather coat walked up to Sarah and took her hand.

“Okay,” Emma said and pointed at each person in the round. “Russ? So that’s Ethan, Jessie’s boyfriend, and Sarah has her Danny back too. The other men from the loo escort are Liam, Jack and Lucas.”

Russell grinned as introductions were made, but he had a hard time hiding his frustration. But the conversation soon turned back to the concert and how Deathwish had rocked the stage, and there was a lively discussion going on about their supporting act when someone nudged Russell in the ribs.

“Earth to Russell?” Emma said with a grin.  
Russell realised he had been staring at the stage and grinned back. “Sorry.”  
“You’ll never give up.”  
“No.” He looked at the empty space in front of the stage, where a few bits of litter were adrift in the wind. “One day I’m going there through the stage door.”

“So you have a band?” Someone asked, and Russell turned around.

The guy who had spoken was Danny, but occupied with being caught up in his dream, Russell was getting over it. He was used to it, after all.

“No, not quite,” he said. “But one day, I will.”  
“You play?” Danny asked.  
“I play guitar, and I sing,” Russell said and looked back at the stage. “But right now I’m the only member.”  
“That’s cool,” Danny replied and Russell looked up at him again. “’Cause I’m actually looking for a band.”  
“And what do you play?” Russell asked eagerly.  
“Drums.” Danny looked very smug at Russell’s facial expression.

Then the two grinned at each other.

“So, when I’m going through the stage door,” Russell began, “you’re coming along?”  
“You bet,” Danny said and held out his fist.

Russ and Danny did a fist-bump, and exchanged another grin.


End file.
